In the early hours of February 3, 1982, Reverend Louis Bourgeois was awoken by the tolling of a church bell. He looked out his rectory window to see flames pouring out of the adjacent Ste. Anne’s Parish. When firefighters arrived, the Jefferson Avenue church had become completely engulfed in flames. It appeared that the fire started in the adjoining Boy Scouts Hall and quickly spread through the wood-framed structures. Once extinguished, the more than 300 lb. bell was salvaged from the ruins, leaving firefighters to speculate if an arsonist had rung the bell as part of a “sick joke.”
Within two weeks, Salem had suffered additional unexplained fires including one at the City Planner’s office on Congress and Leavitt streets and another at the Power Block on Washington Street. The Power Block blaze claimed the life of firefighter Raymond McSwiggin, who suffered a fatal heart attack while working on the scene.
On the morning of February 22, two major fires erupted in downtown Salem within the span of an hour. One at the Salem Armory on Essex Street and another at the Masonic Temple on nearby Washington Street. More than 30 communities sent firefighters to aid in battling the infernos which reduced the buildings to shells. Additionally, gasoline and matches were found at the Salem Police Station, luckily the two did not ignite. Salem Mayor Jean A. Levesque declared a state of emergency and issued a curfew. The National Guard and State Police were brought to the city to help secure the ruins and prevent further attacks. Within a few days, a 24-year-old man was charged with the attempt to set fire to the Salem Police Station. Artifacts from the Salem Amory were later found in his possession. February 1982 would come to be referred to as “a reign of terror” by local first responders and many Salem residents feared that there would be additional arson attacks.
In 1985, Ste. Anne’s Parish broke ground on a new church building and held a dedication ceremony for its completion the following year. The Masonic Temple building was renovated and remains in use by the Essex Lodge. The Salem Armory’s drill shed survived the fire and was converted into Salem’s Visitor Center. It is operated by the National Park Service and opened in 1994. The ruins of the Armory’s head house on Essex Street stood until 2000, when they were demolished to create Armory Park.
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Digitized Archives
Salem Armory
Masonic Temple
Ste. Anne's Parish
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