County: Fayette  |   Attraction Types: Historic Site

One of the greatest misfortunes to strike the town of Fayette was a fire that swept through the business district in 1911. It was on Friday, March 26, at 6 A.M., when fire was discovered in a drug store. Fanned by a brisk wind, the flames spread rapidly over the town. In a short time businesses were in ashes. The court house stood in ruins and several buildings were smoldering in charred heaps. Townspeople, who formed a bucket brigade, were credited with saving a part of the residential section. Losses other than the court house (the third Fayette County Court House to burn) were the jail, bank, newspaper plant, twenty-three business houses, and seven residences. There were also several minor injuries reported.
Fayette had once more lost all its records of births, marriages and other documents of historical importance.

Like many other cities that have suffered devastation from fires Fayette rebuilt and used the experience to prevent future cataclysms from fire by passing an ordinance requiring new buildings to be made from block or masonry. Within a year a new majestic court house was built upon the grounds of the old one while businesses returned and erected many of the buildings that still form much of central Fayette. This intense building activity created many jobs and an atmosphere of opportunity that prepared Fayette to grow.

Following World War I, the 1920’s proved to be a time of industrial growth that established many jobs that would support the town for the next fifty years.