Providence Forge Fire; Destroyed by Fire; $75,000 Damage Estimate; Eight Escape
PROVIDENCE FORCE. June 17th- Fire destroyed Charles E. Hughes' general store here early today with a loss estimated at $75,000. Both an old structure, facing old Route 60. and a newly erected two-story wing extending back to the new double highway were gutted.
Eight persons sleeping in rooms above the store escaped after one man awoke and discovered the fire at 4 A. M. He warned, other occupants.
A fire company from Henrico County joined two engines from James City, one from West Point and a forest-fire fighting truck from New Kent in a futile attempt to halt the flames. The adjacent Layfield Motor Company was saved when shift in the wind carried the flames away as men stood on the roof of an automobile lubrication building. and threw water on the walls. Cars in the building were moved to safety.
R. M. Hughes, brother of the proprietor, estimated the damage to the store at $75,000. He said the building was destroyed about an hour after the fire was discovered and that the cause of the fire was not determined.
Only about $1,000 in merchandise was saved, Mr. Hughes said.
Another section of the Hughes store and hotel, across old highway Route 60 was not damaged.
The Hughes store was widely known as a stopping place for fishermen and was open day and night during the past Winter, a restaurant and general sports goods department were opened.
-Richmond News Leader, 17 June 1948
C. E. Hughes, merchant at Providence Forge, who was burned out with about a $76,000 loss, on June 1C, is already at work on the erection of a cinder block structure of about the same size on his store site. Mr. Hughes states that with the help of his brother, R. M. Hughes, and friends, that he expects to be open tor business in the new building in 30 days.
As a reporter, we went over to the smoking ruins that morning at 9 o’clock. There was very littlie of the trick hull left standing end merchandise that had been burning since about 4 A.M. was still smoldering, especially the huge amount of motor oil that was on hand. It is said the fire started in Room 5 upstairs over the store. Eight people were awakened and saved themselves, but not belongings, just in time, as in a matter of minutes the ceiling caved in. Only about $1,000 worth of store goods was saved, which included the English spode china, some feed and a few automobile tires.
Recently Mr. Hughes had added a sportsman’s department for the benefit of fishermen especially, and restaurant equipment and had stated that at last he had his place of business like he wanted it. “I even have the colored and white adequately taken care of, separately."
Mr. Hughes only lost one day in being out of business. Since then he has had the bus depot, etc., in the Layfield grease building, which is only a few feet away. This building and Layfield Motor Company proper were threatened by the fire and would have burned had not men and fire trucks kept the buildings constantly under a flow of water. New Kent fire truck, the two James City fire trucks, the Henrico fire engine and the West Point fire engine all came when called and kept the fire from spreading. Mr. Hughes has been, a merchant at Forge for 35 years. Besides the novelty store, with hotel upstairs and his hotel across the road, Mr. Hughes has a peach orchard at Forge and also a holly wreath factory there.
-Tidewater Review, 24 June 1948
This is the same C. E. Hughes is the Charles Evans Hughes of the Christmas Wreath factory post of last Christmas.
