Beloved 1873 Market Burns in D.C.
By Margaret Foster | From Preservation | May 2, 2007
No one was injured in the fire, which started at about 3 a.m. on
Apr. 30.
Credit: Andrew Lightman, Capital Community News
Fire has damaged a brick building in Washington, D.C., closing the popular public market that has been open since it was built in 1873. According to the Washington Post, faulty electrical wiring probably caused the Apr. 30 fire that destroyed the roof and gutted about half of Eastern Market's South Hall.
The city, which owns the Italianate building designed by local architect Adolph Cluss, has vowed to restore it quickly.
"Eastern Market will be restored to 100 percent of its architectural and historic splendor," D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty announced in a press conference yesterday.
Fenty wants to complete the restoration within 18 to 24 months and estimated it would cost "between $20 million and $30 million."
In the meantime, a local nonprofit wants the market to continue to function nearby. The Capitol Hill Community Foundation, established in 1988, has set up a fund to raise money for not only the restoration but the 14 vendors.
“It’s been less than 48 hours, and we’re getting enormous support,” says Nicky Cymrot, foundation president.
"I am extremely confident that the money for the restoration will be forthcoming from the city, and I hope from Congress and other organizations," Cymrot says. “What we are focusing on at this moment is that the building doesn’t get shuttered. … To this community, it would not be a wonderful success if the vendors who are there now, many of whom have been there for several generations, are forced to relocate."
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