On This Day — The Ropes Mansion Was Saved

Welcome to On This Day. Once a month, we'll bring take you back to a newsy story that happened on a particular day in the past. Have suggestions for stories that should be remembered? Email Editor Aubry Bracco at aubry@patch.com.

Aug. 15, 2011 is a rainy one.

Fire seems like the last thing we'd worry when we're thinking more  along the lines of the threat of flooding.

But, on this day in 2009, there was a fire — one that almost claimed one of the Salem's historic treasures — the .

Just before 12:30 p.m. on that day, the responded to the McIntire District on a call about a fire at the Ropes Mansion.

"It was a 95 degrees that day," said firefighter John Roth who responded. "It was horrible — humid and hot."

When firefighters arrived, they saw "a big organge glow…rolling inside the building," Roth said. The building's renovation had included the construction of a new roof over the old one, so there was plenty of space for the fire to grow and travel.

Firefighters had to contend with a slate roof as they smashed through the roof to open up the building in order to ventilate the fire.

During the ordeal, firefighters from Peabody and Salem ended up at the hospital as a result of heat exhaustion and severe dehydration.

In the end, the building was saved, and the Salem Fire Department was honored for its efforts to save the building and artifacts by Historic Salem Inc.

In a letter to the Salem News, Dan Monroe of the wrote that off all the artifacts, only "a glass pitcher — was broken in the course of fighting the fire. We consider this to be nothing short of miraculous."

Thanks to the Salem Fire Department, former Deputy Chief Thomas M. Brophy Sr. and FF John Roth for help with research and photos. For a complete archive click here.