Sometimes I don't understand why things can't always remain where they were, or the way they were, when you left them while you were young and growing up. Childhood memories.
A massive fire roared through a vacant building on the corner of Main and Maple Streets in Preston, Maryland that needed assistance from fire companies from Caroline County and the neighboring counties of Talbot and Dorchester Counties.
Preston, Maryland, in case you don't know, is called "the biggest little town in the USA". My guess would be there are maybe 700 to 800 people living in Preston and I'll just bet half were there.
I remember well that building from my childlhood days. My dear Grandmother lived across the street. My sister and skipped along the sidewalk many days on end as children with that building across the street never out of our sight.
My childhood memory of it was that the Preston News and Farmer newpaper office was there. In my memories of that great building the older people of the town, after leaving the office, would cross the street and speak to my sister and me.
They knew us.....you knew everyone in that small town. And it didn't hurt to be the granddaughters of the once town police chief (back in the day) and have a dad,(also firemen) aunts and uncles (firemen) that were all well known. My great grandfather settled there. My great uncle and second and thirds cousins were farmers.
Looking at the photos here (taken by my second cousin) I couldn't help but think that if we were still children watching the blaze how the heat would warm our faces.....the water from the hoses wetting our feet. My Grandmother and Mother and Father would have had a different idea about the ordeal and would have taken us into the house hoping fire wouldn't spread as massive fires often do. The old building is gone.
Soon the remaining portions will be torn down, loaded up and hauled away. Forgotten.
I will always remember that building and the fond childhood memories that go with it for as long as I have memory......
Steph- I borrowed your photos.
