The Bull Run Inn & Campus Bowling Lanes - The Fire Before The Flood

 

The Bull Run Inn & Campus Bowling Lanes was located at Located at 535 Market St.,  over Bull Run Creek, next to where the Bull Run Inn stands today.  The original building, with Campus Lanes Bowling in the back, and apartments on the second floor, was destroyed in a fire in 1972.

Today it is  difficult to  picture a building over the creek,  but I certainly believe those who tell me that is  where it stood.  I have not yet found photos of the outside of the building, but I'm told that there was a witch on the sign, and several recall watching that witch fall into the flames as the building burnt to the ground.

This photo from the flood, just 6 months later, shows fencing still up from the clean up of the burnt building.  (I believe the car floating in the middle of the road here belonged to the mayor.  See more photos of the 72 flood in Lewisburg here)

Photos from inside the Bull Run Inn  

The Daily Item, when reporting on the fire in 1972, stated that the building was built in 1925, and served as a car agency for many years, until Jack Dunkle converted it into a bar with bowling lanes in the rear of the building.

In a report on the fire, by Chief Robert Stackhouse, he writes "Being a native of Lewisburg, I remembered that many years ago there was a public laundry known as Peerless Laundry.  When that went out of buisiness, the building was sold to a car dealer and used for storage and repairs, etc."

In 1968, Russ Gardner purchased the building.  He renovated the bar and added a dining room to the east of the bar.

The Fire

At approximately 2:30 am, Al St. Vincent, a student at Bucknell, was awakened by smoke.  St Vincent lived next door to the Bull Run, in an apartment over the Western Auto Store.  Unsure how to call in a fire alarm, St Vincent walked half a block to the Town Tavern, where he roused the bartender John L. Bohemer, who called in the alarm. Several college students roused the residents above the Inn.

Firemen were on the scene in less than 10 minutes, but the building was already engulfed in flames. When one fireman ventilated the building the back wall of the bowling alley was "blown out by intense heat".

During the early morning hours, the roof of the bowling lanes collapsed, followed by the roof over the bar. The dining room of the restaurant collapsed soon after.

Thankfully, there was no wind to carry the fire to nearby buildings. The collapse of the dining room roof may also have helped to contain the blaze.

"Across a small alley at this point were three weather-beaten residences that would have gone up in minutes if the fire had reached them. Also, only fifty feet away, were the Busser warehouse and Heimbach lumberyard that we were very much concerned about." - Chief Robert Stackhouse 

Art Fimick, bartender at the Inn, said he closed the bar about 1:30 am, and then he went across the street to the tavern at 600 Market St, where he had a couple of beers.  Dimick had not noticed any smell of smoke when he closed the bar.

When interviewed, owner Russ Gardner said he thought the fire may have been started by a malfunction in a motor in the bowling alley, which had been repaired that Thursday.

The area near the door to the bowling alley was blown into the street, possibly form an explosion of the motor, or from the oil burner located in the basement.

Four people lived in apartments over the bar, including a woman and her infant daughter. No one was injured in the fire. Don Reed, one resident, was at a party when the fire broke out. Another resident fled when the fire began. 

Loss was estimated at $250,000. The building was insured, and Gardner stated that he may rebuild the restaurant and bar, but that he would not rebuild the bowling lanes.

In just of 1972, Gardner was granted a variance to the zoning ordinance, that would allow him to built a bar and apartments at 535 Market St.  The variance was granted with the condition that Gardner obtain written permission from Bussers Supply Co to use two parking areas after 6pm, for parking for bar customers. Gardner intended to reconstruct the bar and apartments on the site of the Former Bull Run Inn.  A variance was required because the lot did not allow for enough parking for the new building.

A few days later, all of that changed, as the 1972 flood swept through the town.   After the flood, plans were made to widen the creek and build a park in that flood ravaged area.  Gardner purchased the A&P & Western Auto buildings to the west, and opened the new Bull Run Inn at that location instead.

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Find More Stories & History Of Lewisburg Here:
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/08/lewisburg-pa.html

And More Stories & History From Surrounding Towns Here:
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The Bowling Alley had 12 lanes.

Obituary For Russell W. Gardner, 84, Lewisburg

LEWISBURG — Russell W. Gardner, 84, of Lewisburg, passed away peacefully on Monday evening, Dec. 29, 2008, at Evangelical Community Hospital, Lewisburg.

He was born Feb. 5, 1924, in Smyrna, Del., and was raised there by his beloved paternal uncle and aunt, George and Goldie Gardner, along with his cousins, Fred and Anna. Russell was a son of the late Harvey and Grace (Leatherman) Gardner Jones. On Oct. 18, 1947, in Camden, N.J., Russ married the former Marie Foster, and they enjoyed more than 61 years together.

Russ honorably served in the Army during World War II as a paratrooper. He was stationed in Nottingham, England, before being sent to Europe, where he was critically injured in the Battle of the Bulge.

He started his career as an account manager with General Mills in 1950 and moved to Lewisburg in 1958 to manage the Weis Markets account. In 1982, he retired from General Mills after 32 years of service. In addition to his career with General Mills, he and his wife purchased the Bull Run Inn and Campus Bowling Lanes in 1968. After the business was destroyed by fire in 1972, he reopened the Bull Run Inn at its present location. In 1983, he designed a theme restaurant, named Rusty's, where he enjoyed many convivial years greeting patrons. He remained active in the operation of the businesses long past typical retirement age.

He was a 50-year member of Beaver Memorial United Methodist Church, Lewisburg, a member of Kratzer-Dull American Legion Post 182, Lewisburg, Charity Masonic Lodge 144, Lewisburg, the Williamsport Consistory and was a 45-year member of the Bucknell Golf Course.

Russ enjoyed his family and friends, competitive bowling, golf, and especially a serious game of poker. He was inducted into the Central Pennsylvania Bowling Association Hall of Fame in 1987 and often was seen driving his 1960 Thunderbird convertible. He and Marie enjoyed spending the past 26 winters in their home in Venice, Fla.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by one son and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Karen Gardner of Lewisburg; one daughter, Lois Gardner Sabet of Nottingham, England; and three grandchildren, Roshan Daniel Sabet of Nottingham, England, and Kyle and Kathryn Gardner of Lewisburg.

He was predeceased by four brothers, Lloyd Gardner, Harvey Gardner, who was killed in action in World War II, Larry Jones, and his youngest brother, the Rev. Jack Jones, and one sister, Norma Frye.

A memorial service will be held at noon Saturday in the Parkview Room at Puirseil's Irish Pub, formerly Rusty's, 19 S. Sixth St., Lewisburg, followed by a reception there. Officiating will be his pastor, the Rev. Brian D. Vasey, of Beaver Memorial United Methodist Church, and the Rev. Ned E. Weller, retired United Methodist minister.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Boy Scouts of America Troop 538, c/o Don Steele, treasurer, 704 Equestrian Lane, Lewisburg, PA 17837, or Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, 350 Hale Ave., Harrisburg, PA 17105 (designate for Troop 1095 Lewisburg).

The family is being assisted by the Cronrath-Grenoble Funeral Home, South Second and St. Louis streets, Lewisburg.