As the town motto goes, “Williamsburg Feels Like Home.”
However, that home feels a bit sadder following last week’s devastating blaze that left a significant swath of businesses along Main Street between Second and Third streets destroyed. It also left several people without housing, who lived in upstairs apartments over those businesses.
For those that don’t know, the fire broke on Jan. 20 about 10 p.m. apparently at or above the Law Offices of Croley and Foley. It quickly spread to other incredibly old, but beautiful buildings along Main Street utterly destroying several.
Accountant Donna Guilkey and attorney Kim Frost lost their office along with Associates in Eyecare, Shale Oak Wine Tasting (formerly Butcher Law Office), and Ngoc Kitchen. I don’t think there is any doubt that these buildings will have to be leveled.
Firefighters were able to stop the blaze at the 1818 Law Office, which apparently suffered significant smoke and water damage.
Fortunately, the Hunt and the Harvest restaurant and Adam Howard’s law office only suffered a little minor damage relatively speaking. I haven’t heard anything about Hollywood Video, but I would be surprised if they didn’t sustain at least a little smoke damage.
News Journal Publisher Trevor Sherman and ad representative Melissa Hudson went out Tuesday night to take pictures and video of the damage and went back again Wednesday morning.
As strange as this may be for a newsperson to write, I am kind of glad that I wasn’t out there last Tuesday night or last Wednesday morning to see these buildings as they were burning.
The News Journal used to have an office right off South Second Street one block from the courthouse and judicial center. I worked out of it nearly every day for 25 years. Kim Frost, Donna Guilkey, Paul Croley, B.J. Foley, Jane Butcher and others were my neighbors and friends, who I typically saw, waved at or talked to a few times a week. I can’t imagine what they and others are going through.
I got my first look at the damage Thursday afternoon when I went to the judicial center and the old courthouse to type in lawsuits, deeds and marriage licenses.
I stood beside the courthouse behind the fire department caution tape and just looked at the damage for several minutes.
Words can’t describe it adequately.
For the most part I just stood there in silent reflection.
Downtown Williamsburg will never look the same.
The thing is buildings don’t make a town. It is the people in it, and we have some great people in Williamsburg, Whitley County and the surrounding areas.
When the chips are down, people from Southeastern Kentucky are there for one another.
About 100 firefighters from nearly every fire department in Whitley County responded to that blaze along with fire trucks and firefighters from McCreary County, Knox County and Laurel County just to name a few from the pictures that I saw.
Firefighters got people and a few pets out of the apartments. Sadly, there was one canine fatality. Firefighters worked throughout the night and into the next day to extinguish it. Thankfully, no one died. Only two firefighters suffered minor injuries, which is pretty miraculous all things considered.
Churches and restaurants brought food for the firefighters to eat. Other restaurants offered free meals to firefighters if they wanted to come by.
People reached to those displaced by the fire.
Efforts are underway to help fire victims replace clothing and other items.
A big thank you to everyone, who helped and to the first responders for risking life and limb to keep things from becoming much worse. Your efforts are appreciated.
In time, Williamsburg will recover. Life will go on, but the little town will never look quite the same after this. This is alright because it isn’t the buildings that make a town. It is the same great people, who will continue to be there.
Prayers.
