Off the Bricks

The 1852 Hunt · STOP 05 · Downtown

The officer who opened Box 52 for the Great Fire had his own key. The alarm was still a quarter hour late.

Everyone tells it the same way: the alarm box was locked, nobody could find a key, and Boston burned. At the inquiry, the police officer testified he had his key in his pocket and opened the box in seconds. The alarm still went in a quarter of an hour after the flames were seen, and nobody has explained why. Even the corner is disputed. Go stand where it happened.

This is stop 5 of The 1852 Hunt. Walk it free in the app.

The plate

Box 52, Roughly Here

Collected on site

01020304050607080910111213
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Corner of Summer Street and Lincoln Street
Directions

1

Box 52 had a quiet reputation. A witness told the inquiry it was 'a box that very few alarms come from.'

More footnotes on the story card, in the app.

Argue about it

Why was the Great Fire's alarm a quarter of an hour late?

Both sides, with their sources, are on the story card in the app.

Fire alarm box, Legend busted, Wrong sign, Works after dark

In these collections: Legends Busted, Wrong Signs, After Dark

Near South Station · Near Downtown Crossing · Near Chinatown · Near Park Street · Near Boylston

Sources (8)