A Second Grader’s First Hand Account of 1966 Fire

A few ninth graders from the Allendale Columbia School interviewed alum Bill Clark from class of nineteen seventy seven. In this interview Mr. Clark told us about one of his most vivid memories of the school. The Allendale Fire of 1966.

Here’s what Bill had to say about the fire:

Thanksgiving night of 1966 was the night that the fire destroyed nearly all of the Allendale School. Due to the fact that the school was placed farther away from the street, the fire had gotten a head start before anyone noticed. The fire was devastating. Two thirds of my school was burned down. As a second grader that was really difficult to process. I remember coming to the school around six the next morning. The firemen were still there. The ground was scorched and there was still smoke coming from the burnt remains of the school. The flag pole was bent. It was so bent that it was almost touching the ground. But by noon, it was standing upright. It’s kind of creepy thinking about it now. Because the fire was so hot, it burned and melted everything around it. I remember seeing my old classroom burned completely to the ground. Inside the burnt rubble, I saw the pot holders we had been making for our parents the day prior to the fire. Although the fire was devastating, it was quite possibly the best thing that ever happened for this school. We designed and rebuilt Allendale Columbia to be what it is today. The fire and what came of it allowed us to come closer together as a school.