The North Side School opened in 1907 at Sanford and Center Streets in Arlington. Students in grades one through seven attended. Tragically, the structure was destroyed by fire in January 1909.
Fire at the North Side School
On January 11, 1909, around 8:20 P.M., a fire broke out at the North Side School in Arlington.
A resident who lived nearby noticed smoke coming out of a basement window. By that time, though, much of the interior was already ablaze. He sounded the fire alarm. Within ten minutes, the volunteer fire department and many citizens were on hand to help however they could. They worked in the cold darkness to battle the blaze.
Headline from The Arlington Journal
Photo Credit: The Arlington Journal – January 15, 1909
Citizens were concerned about the nearby houses, with some deciding to remove the furniture in case the structures caught fire. A pile of furniture grew in the street, but unfortunately, much of it was damaged needlessly in the haste. Most nearby houses likely weren’t in real danger, but challenges and uncertainty remained. Hydrants were frozen, and there wasn’t one near the school. They had to fight the blaze with ladders and buckets. A bucket brigade soon formed, and they also used wet blankets to smother volatile sections of the fire.
Luckily, snow had been falling for several hours, and the cold and wet conditions—and tireless efforts of those involved—helped keep the fire from spreading. The school, constructed of heavy bricks, helped contain the blaze. The wind was also helpful, as it collected embers that landed on nearby roofs and sprinkled them on the ground. Neighbors also used brooms to remove embers, and as such, they either dissipated in the snow or became easily manageable.
The fire tragically reduced the new, modern schoolhouse to a charred, blackened, and cracked skeleton of walls. It destroyed most furnishings and books. The fire spared nearby houses, though, and no one was injured. Sadly, a handful of students arrived at school the following day, unaware it had burned overnight. Many were in tears over the loss. They were quickly consoled and told that class would resume soon. The town constructed a temporary, wooden, one-room structure—which is the North Side School displayed at Knapp Heritage Park—until they could build a new brick schoolhouse.
Officials believed that defective flues connecting the heating furnace caused the fire. The small community suffered a substantial loss.
Wooden structure temporarily used as the North Side School in 1909 after the brick building burned;
currently displayed at Knapp Heritage Park in Downtown Arlington
North Side School before the fire, likely in 1907
Photo Credit: The Arlington Journal – January 15, 1909
Photo Credits and source material: “The Arlington Journal – January 15, 1909” – part of The Portal to Texas History collection at www.texashistory.unt.edu
Blog post by Jason S. Sullivan, 01-11-25
Jason S. Sullivan 
good article!
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Thank you!
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