Memorial Elementary School (Collinwood School Fire) (Cleveland, Ohio)

 fire service, disaster site, interesting place

The Collinwood School Fire (also known as the Lake View School Fire) of Ash Wednesday, March 4, 1908 was one of the deadliest disasters of its type in the United States during its era. 172 students, two teachers and a rescuer were killed in the disaster in Collinwood, Ohio, a community that has since been absorbed into the city of Cleveland.

Following the fire, the remains of the school were demolished and a memorial garden planned for the site. A new school, Collinwood Memorial Elementary School (razed in 2004) was built adjacent to the disaster site, and incorporated many features that had been lacking in the previous building. Unlike the building involved in the disaster, the new school incorporated fire safe stairwells, a central alarm system, and was built of steel framing and other fire safe materials. Although the new school was torn down in 2004, A new, new one was built here in 2005, simply called Memorial Elementary School.

www.cmsdnet.net/schools/schoolbuildings/memorial.htm

Photos of the memorial and of the "old" new school:

www.deadohio.com/collinwood.htm