Great Fire of 1911

A small fire that started in a downtown shed went out of control and destroyed hundreds of commercial and residential buildings.

[2] In total, 285 residences, 100 businesses, and 6 churches were destroyed, doing $3.2 million damage and leaving hundreds homeless.

[citation needed] Remarkably, only two people died: one Brewer man who was caught in electrical wiring while crossing a bridge, and one firefighter.

After the telephone company caught fire, the wire chief climbed a pole and cut in on a trunk line to make aid calls.

[7] The area destroyed by the fire was quickly rebuilt, with many architectural commissions going to New York and Boston firms (such as Carrere and Hastings and Peabody and Stearns), as well as local designers Wilfred E. Mansur, C. Parker Crowell, and Victor Hodgins.