{"id":8665,"date":"2025-03-19T20:36:49","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T00:36:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/?p=8665"},"modified":"2026-04-03T10:59:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T14:59:19","slug":"tarrytown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/tarrytown\/","title":{"rendered":"Tarrytown Mall Fire – August 12, 1967"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Bucket trucks working. Let’s look back at the Tarrytown Mall fire in Rocky Mount on August 12, 1967.<\/p>\n

Tarrytown Mall was the first enclosed mall in eastern North Carolina, the third enclosed mall in the state, and the 26th enclosed mall in the United States. (The first was Southdale in Edina, MN, a suburb of Minneapolis, and where Yours Truly spent many a Saturday free-ranging while his mom worked a few blocks away.)<\/p>\n

Tarrytown Mall opened in 1963 and with four stores: Big Star, Roses, Kerr Drugs, and Montgomery Ward. By the next year, it had nine stores. In 1965, six more were added. And, by August 1967, it had 20 stores.<\/p>\n

The fire struck on a Saturday morning, August 12, 1967.<\/p>\n

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It was reported a bit before 7:30 a.m. Engine 3 was first-arriving and found fire showing from the doors and windows of Pickwicks Gift Shop.<\/p>\n

Captain Tom Daniel, noted the department’s 1996 history book, was known “for his fireground composure” and said on the radio “I reckon you better send me some help.” The dispatcher asked what help he needed and what was on fire, he answered “The whole damn place and all you’ve got.”<\/p>\n

As the Rocky Mount Telegram later reported, before crews could hook their hoses to hydrants, flames had “spread out into the Mall, jumped to the roof, and were out of control.”<\/p>\n

With heat weakening the steel beams overhead, Fire Chief Pete James directed crews to use aerial stream(s) and avoid the roof. The department’s tiller was operating and, from photos, a pair of utility company bucket trucks were also employed.<\/p>\n

All but one RMFD trucks were on scene at 10:00 a.m. The fire was almost under control at one time, the fire chief later said, but a portion of the roof on the east side collapsed and the fire grew out of control again.<\/p>\n

As firefighters battled the blaze, various store owners loaded cars, trucks, trailers, and other vehicles with merchandise.<\/p>\n

Shortly after noon, a construction crew reported to the scene and began tearing down a section of the east wall.<\/p>\n

Through the day, water was poured onto the smoldering areas. Crews remained through the night, to extinguish any fires that might rekindle.<\/p>\n

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Nearly 200 firefighters battled the blaze, including about 100 volunteer firefighters from Nash and Edgecombe county. (Also that day, some Nash departments responded to Warren County, to help with a furniture warehouse fire in downtown Warrenton.)<\/p>\n

Most of the damage was on the east side of the mall, where Pickwicks and several other stores were located.<\/p>\n

No firefighters were injured. A building inspector was transported after suffering “some kind of spell.” Another adult male was transported with smoke inhalation. <\/p>\n

The fire was called the worst in Rocky Mount since 1927 and called the second-largest “combined firefighting effort” in city history, after the Williford School Fire in 1959, for number of apparatus and personnel.<\/p>\n

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Run Card<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rocky Mount – Likely E1 E2 E3 E4 E6 E8 T1, what else?
\nThey had four stations at the time. <\/p>\n

Battleboro – Two trucks, 20 men
\nSharpsburg – Two trucks, 20 men
\nStoney Creek – Two trucks, 13 men, one rescue squad, one ambulance
\nWest Mount – Two trucks, 19 men
\nWhitakers – Two trucks, 13 men.<\/p>\n

Damage Report<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bob Howard Shoe Company, smoke\/possibly water
\nChar Steak Restaurant, mostly smoke\/water
\nCoffman-Wallace, smoke\/water
\nHickory Farms, smoke\/water
\nKinney’s Shoe Company, fire\/smoke\/water
\nKerr Drug, smoke\/some water
\nPickwick’s Gift Store, fire\/smoke\/water
\nRichard’s Hair Styling, smoke\/water
\nSerotta’s, smoke
\nTarrytown Barber Shop, smoke\/water<\/p>\n

Not damaged:<\/p>\n

Mason’s Discount Store
\nRose’s
\nMontgomery Ward’s<\/p>\n

Some stores opened for business on the day of the fire, others were expected to open on Monday, after clean-up was completed. Electricity was restored to Montgomery Ward’s, Rose’s, and Mason’s late on Saturday morning.<\/p>\n

Sources \/ More Information<\/strong><\/p>\n

See a couple news articles at https:\/\/drive.google.com\/drive\/folders\/1-e-0rg2ovPv4lOlqNm81HNqErGpZCSxE?usp=drive_link<\/a><\/p>\n

Photos from the 1996 RMFD history book, read digital version at https:\/\/legeros.com\/history\/library\/departments\/rocky-mount-book-1996.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

Postcard from Durwood Barbour Collection of North Carolina Postcards (P077), North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, Wilson Library, UNC-Chapel Hill, https:\/\/dc.lib.unc.edu\/cdm\/ref\/collection\/nc_post\/id\/8262<\/a><\/p>\n

Tarrytown Mall history from \/r\/deadmalls, https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/deadmalls\/comments\/e5u9t4\/an_oral_history_of_rocky_mount_ncs_former\/<\/a><\/p>\n