Newton County GaArchives News.....FIRE! The Cox Hotel Burned to the Ground, and the Flowers House Narrowly Escapes a like Fate December 20, 1892
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Phyllis Thompson http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002524 May 10, 2008, 6:50 pm

The Covington Star December 20, 1892
All the Surrounding Property Damaged. Heavy Loss, with but Little Insurance.
     Covington has had another big fire.
     The Cox Hotel is burned.
     It was burned at half past five o’clock on Wednesday morning, Dec. 14th.
     The fire was discovered about 5:20, and the alarm was sounded immediately 
thereafter.
     Our citizens were aroused from their morning slumbers, and upon rushing 
out, discovered the Cox House all in blaze.
     The fire spread rapidly, and in less than ten minutes the whole building 
was in roaring flames.
     In half an hour it was burned to the ground.
     The sleeping occupants of the hotel barely had time to make their escape 
with their lives, but nothing else could be saved.
     Mrs. WRIGHT, who was running the hotel, lost all of her furniture, 
clothing, and household goods, which were worth about $2,500, with only $1,000 
of insurance.
     Mrs. COX had some insurance upon the building, but we do not know how 
much, as the policy was not issued by companies represented here.
     The Flowers House, which is just across the street, was terribly scorched 
by the intense heat, but was saved from destruction by a timely and fortunate 
change of the wind from the east around to the  northwest, thus turning the 
lapping flames away from it, and by the heroic exertions of our citizens. The 
east end of the house, which was next to the fire, is considerably damaged, but 
can be easily repaired. The furniture was badly broken up and damaged, by the 
hasty removal, and was not insured. The damage to the building is fully covered 
by insurance. Mr. Flowers estimates his loss at about $250, exclusive of the 
damage to the house.
     The Presbyterian Church, which stood on the corner, diagonally across the 
street from the Cox House, was badly blistered by the heat, but was not 
materially damaged. Its escape from total destruction is almost a miracle.
     The small, two-room cabin, belonging to Miss Ludie and Lottie HENDRICK, 
directly opposite the hotel, and across the street, caught on fire on the roof 
and wall, but was eventually saved from destruction by hard work.
     The Clark Bank Building, which is built of brick, caught on fire in 
several places, but was put out before any serious damage was done. Several of 
the large French Glass in the front doors practically ruined. About $100 will 
cover the damage.
     The Shepherd Building also caught on fire, at the front, but it was soon 
extinguished.
     The Telegraph Office, which is located in the front room of the second 
story of the Shepherd Building, was completely flooded with water, and the 
wires were broken down.
     It was raining a little at the time, which aided materially in preventing 
a general conflagration of the town.
     The saving of the Flowers House and the Presbyterian Church, seems almost 
miraculous, when their close proximity to the Cox House and the intensity of 
the heat, are taken into consideration.
     The old kitchen, in the back yard of the Cox House, was also saved. 
     The losses by the fire, are numerous, and hard to ascertain correctly.
     Mr. CRUIKSHANKS,  a commercial drummer, lost two gold watches, about $175 
to $200 in money, and $600 in checks, making a total of about $1,000. The 
checks can be duplicated, but the watches and money, amounting to $400 are a 
total loss.
     Mr. D. A. TITSHAW lost books and clothing to the amount of about $125.
     The total loss by the fire cannot be correctly estimated, as yet, but will 
reach about $5,000.
     The Cox House belonged to Mrs. Fannie S. COX, of Goldsboro, N. C., and was 
built by N. P HUNTER, in 1853 or 1863. (Can’t tell if that’s a 5 or a 6.)
     It was a very large wooden building, and has been a continual menace to 
our city ever since the war.
     We hope to see a brick hotel, of modern style, erected upon it site. Such 
a hotel has long been needed in our city, and now we hope we will get it.


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