Barker House Chair

1988.7.1 - Barker House Chair

Sometimes staff members have questions about artefacts that we can’t answer so we refer them to a volunteer.  Here is one of those cases:

Question:  “K. found a chair labelled “Barker House” and when we looked at the file we discovered that this chair was retrieved from Barker House “after the fire.”  There are no details about the fire, do you know anything about it?”

Reply #1:  “I cannot ascertain the date of the fire (or at least the particular fire, which prompted the donation).  I will keep an eye out, but this is the very nature of research – nuggets are more often than not “accidentally” discovered (all my best stuff is found on the path of other research). I’m left wondering in this case which fire and was it one even reported in the local paper. Even isolating all the fires, there would be a lingering uncertainty about the donation date. I expect that I shall run across this item in due course and I will let you know what I find.”

Reply #2:  “I’m so excited because a little digging has resulted in a date for a fire (let’s hope it is the one in question). 26 May 1939 – HUGE fire originating in the Barker House stables spread largely to houses on King Street and the Gaiety Theatre. My landlord’s father, one of the firemen who responded to the call, was actually injured in the process! Talk about close to home!

I’m copying the newspaper bits. Research is so fun!”

A BIG thank you to our volunteer researchers!!