While driving south on Route 52 yesterday I went past Stephen's Gardening Creations, which was the site of a devastating fire on the night of Election Day. I was pleased to see that according to their sign, they're still managing to service customers' garden ponds.
The fire and the very loud tank explosions that accompanied it caused much Facebook chatter that night. I was having a late dinner at Longwood Family Restaurant when we saw all kinds of emergency equipment racing east toward the scene. I immediately checked Facebook and the news was already out there.
The fire reminded me of another local conflagration 100 years ago. On Jan. 27, 1912, at 8:30 p.m., an acetylene gas generator blew up at a stone house at 1225 East Baltimore Pike, Toughkenamon, owned by the Richards family. Thompson Richards died on the scene; his wife, Anna Scarlett Richards, and his daughter, Anna T. Richards, were seriously hurt and were taken to a Philadelphia hospital by train from Toughkenamon. The family dog was unharmed.
The next day some 3,000 curious sight-seekers flocked see the ruined house, arriving via automobiles, carriages and trolleys.
You can still see the stone wall that was in front of the house. Joe Lordi and Dolores Rowe have a full account of the 1912 explosion, with photos, in their book, "Greetings From Kennett Square."
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