The Fire At St Bonifice, 1972

 
On December 5th 1972, the lead story in the Williamsport Sun Gazette read: 

"A spectacular early morning blaze destroyed the St Boniface church, an 1875 city landmark, at 326 Washington Boulevard.  The general alarm blaze, which was discovered at 4:30am, was fought by city and volunteer firemen"

In 1853 a few German Catholics held several meetings for the purpose of discussing the possibilities of establishing a parish and of erecting a church. With this in view they conferred with the Most Reverend Neumann, Bishop of Philadelphia. His Excellency, gladly granted permission for the erection of a church. Fully confident of God's assistance the little group of Catholics courageously began the great task. On January 23, 1854, on the corner of Washington and Anthony Streets, today St. Boniface Street—a plot of land 52 x 208 feet was purchased.

The first church was built in 1854, on the corner of Washington and Anthony streets. ( The Reverend Gostenschnig of Milton came twice monthly to hold divine services there until 1857) 

The second  St Boniface Church building on the left, was  designed by New York architect F. Himpler

A new, larger church was built in 1875.  " The width of the church facing Washington Boulevard was 56 feet and the length was 145 feet. The tower, 145 feet high, was built in 1908. On June 22, 1873, the Most Reverend Bishop of Scranton, William O'Hara, blessed the cornerstone. "

On December 5th 1972, two  Lycoming college co-eds had noticed the smoke through a basement window, and had called it in.  It was later discovered that one of the clocks in the rear of the church had stopped at 4:07am - approximately 25 minutes before the first alarm had sounded.

Over 100 firemen battled the blaze on December 5th - companies from Williamsport, Newberry, South Williamsport, Duboistown were on the scene.  All off duty firemen in Williamsport were called in.  Willing Hand of Montoursville, and Old Lycoming Twp were on stand by, to cover any other fires in the area.

The fire spread from the main building to the church steeple, where the clock hands stopped at 4:25 am.  At 6:45 am, the top of the tower collapsed.

"It took firemen more than two hours to bring the blaze, which brightened the early morning skies, under control.  although sparks fell on a number of nearby buildings, the fire was confined to the church."

The convent across the street and several homes on Franklin street were evacuated, as a precaution.

It was 37 degrees that morning, enough above freezing to keep the sprays of water from turning to ice.

Fire Companies were on the scene until 9am. 

The fire is believed to have been started by the boiler in the basement, and was first discovered by Lycoming college students. 

This was a few years before the string of church arsons that had parishioners standing guard outside of churches overnight in 1977.

"It was a different odor at the church site this morning.  Usually it is an odor of bread being baked by the Stroehman Brothers co. across the street from the church." - 

On December 8th, the Sun Gazette reported that the four bells in the tower appeared to be intact and unharmed.  The statues of St Peter and St Boniface which stood on either side of the altar, were thought to be salvageable.  

"Most of the other statuary, including marble stations of the cross which hung on the walls of the sanctuary, were destroyed."

The church was insured for 1 million - the highest the insurance company would allow.  The estimated cost of reconstruction was more than double that amount.

The Salem AME church in Williamsport was also destroyed by a fire, shortly after St Boniface.

A collection committee was formed by churches in the Williamsport area, and money was raised by those churches to contribute to the rebuilding of St Boniface and the AME Church. 

The Williamsport firemen who had battled the blaze donated their overtime pay to the new building fund.

Demolition of the ruins of St Boniface began in May of 1973.  The parish council petitioned the city to close St Boniface Street, and alley than ran through the church properties, and made plans to demolish the ruined church, old St Mary's High School, and possibly the newer convent.

 

The Convent, built in 1880, had housed the Sisters Of Christian Charity, a teaching order.  The nuns were moved to apartment in the area - those teaching at the elementary school moved to 1427 East 3rd st, and those teaching at Bishop Newman, to 68 Brandon Place.

The parish center on Washington Blvd was the original St Mary's academy , which had opened in 1896.  

The Parish purchased three homes facing Franklin st, with plans to demolish them and make room for building a new, larger, church to replace the one destroyed in the 1972 fire.

"For lifelong parishioners like Arnold Betts, who served the final Mass in the old church and the very first in the school gym, the memories remain vivid.

“I watched the steeple burn from my parent’s bedroom,” he recalled. “The parish got together and said, ‘we will rebuild,’ and this is the result of it.” - Diocese of Scranton article

The new St Boniface church was dedicated in a week long series of services beginning on August 3rd 1975.

The building had been constructed at a cost of 1.5 million dollars, and included seating for 725 persons.  "From the outside, the church's two most outstanding features are its 88 foot high cross, and the sharply sloping slate roof, which soars to a height of 75 feet."

The front of the church was designed as windowless, with a double soundproofing wall  - so that traffic from the "heavily traveled Washington Boulevard" would not be heard inside. 

 The space between the two walls was to be used for the pipes of an organ being built in Italy.  (A two month long strike at the organ factory in Pandova Italy delayed installation for the $60,000 organ.)

The Sun Gazette reported that the last church fire in Greater Williamsport (prior to the St Boniface fire) had been on December 30 1939, at the Evangelical Church on Lycoming Creek. 

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Historical Highlights

1835 Services held in homes with visiting pastors officiating.

1853 German Catholics met to discuss forming a parish and erecting a building. 1855 Wooden church built and occupied.

1855 First baptism in the church.

1857 First Resident Pastor, Rev. John B. Bach.

1875 Second Church was built (the one that burned down).

1880 New Convent erected.

1897 St. Boniface School completed.

1939 William Penn School leased (bought in 1943).

1955 100th Anniversary of the First Church.

1972 St. Boniface Church destroyed by fire (December 5, 1972).

1975 100th Anniversary of the Second Church (destroyed by fire in 1972).

1975 New Church built and dedicated (August 3, 1975).