Snyder, Texas town square historic building destroyed by fire in February 2003. (original) (raw)

A Blow to Historic Preservation in Texas

Scurry County:

Fire on the Snyder Town Square

Photos by Charlene Beauchamp and Christopher Kelly
Text from various reports Book Hotel Here › Snyder Hotels

Other than a tornado, the worst fate that can hit a small town is fire, especially when it occurs on the town square where the town's most important businesses stand right up against one another - in many cases sharing common walls.

	The west side of the square before the fire Photo Courtesy Charlene Beatty Beauchamp

	Rubble hauled from the site Photo Courtesy Christopher Kelly

The most recent of courthouse square fires occurred late last month (Feb. 2003) in the West Texas town of Snyder - the county seat of Scurry County.

Alert citizen Cindy Gill noticed smoke in the window of the building just after 8 p.m. and called it in.

The fire department arrived in minutes, but unfortunately the entire upstairs was engulfed and the 1905 building collapsed - a total loss in less than a half-hour. Fire departments from the neighboring towns of Sweetwater, Colorado City, Roscoe and Loraine responded, and together they succeeded in preventing the blaze from spreading.

	Snyder's landmark White Buffalo guards firefighter's food and water Photo Courtesy Christopher Kelly

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The recent fire on the Snyder, TX square was on the west side, not the south side. The south side is the one with the Ritz Theater. - Jerry Clift

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