Mill Talk: The Great Boston Fire of 1872

For two days in November 1872, a massive fire swept through Boston, leaving the downtown in ruins and the population traumatized. Coming barely a year after the infamous Chicago fire, Boston’s inferno turned out to be one of the most expensive fires per acre in U.S. history. Yet today few are aware of how close Boston came to destruction. With photos, vivid descriptions and artifacts, Boston author Stephanie Schorow masterfully recounts the fire’s history from the foolish decisions that precipitated it to the heroics of firefighters who fought it.

Stephanie Schorow is a journalist and communications instructor at Boston University, and the author of nine books on Boston history and a novel set in the 1980s. She has worked as an editor and reporter for the Boston Herald, the Associated Press, and newspapers in Connecticut, Idaho and Utah. She has appeared in numerous documentaries on Boston history and is in demand as a presenter, teacher and podcast guest.

Arrive early to view our collection of firefighting equipment, including our 1871 Amoskeag steam pumper that fought in the Great Boston Fire!