Davidson College's Broken Heart:
The Burning of Old Chambers
The smoldering ruins of Old Chambers. (DC Archives 9-0108)
Around 4:30 on the morning of November 28, 1921, flames consumed the once grand building that was Old Chambers. Students, faculty, and alumni at Davidson College wept for the loss of the sixty-year-old structure. Although no one died and only two sustained slight injuries, Davidson incurred many negative losses as a result of the fire, which broke out in the cupola due to an undetermined cause ("Fire").
According to Mrs. Lucy Currie Johnston, who witnessed the fire as a young girl, the building was "the pride of the little college town in North Carolina where [she] lived" and "one of the finest buildings in the South". Many people from surrounding towns claimed that they saw the beautiful blaze from miles away (Johnston).
One of the more interesting and lasting effects of the burning of Old Chambers is the ghost that occasionally visits the campus. On hot dry days the ghost takes the form of an outline of the base of each of the four columns that used to stand in front of Old Chambers. While some turn to physics to try to explain the phenomenon, believers argue that it is really the ghost coming back to remind the college of the forgotten old building (Fischer).
While the loss of the academic building may have made for a better Davidson on one hand, it also set Davidson back for several years. This site's purpose is to explain the educational, financial, and architectural effects of the unprecedented event.
ADDITIONAL LINKS
Davidson College Buildings List in Archives-
Click on either [Chambers (Old)] or [Chambers (New)] to view pictures and quotes.
Go to this site to find out a little more about President William J. Martin, who was president of the college at the time of the fire.
One Hundred Years of Certitude-
This site provides a timeline for Davidson College and provides more information about the Chambers fire. Scroll down to 1912-1929 to see if you can find what you are looking for.
For questions or comments, you can contact us:
qurodriquezpastor@davidson.edu
This page was created 10-21-01.
© 2001 Davidson College | Davidson, NC 28035 | Phone: 704.894.2000
For questions about the project, contact Shireen Campbell