History Of Hotel Vendome

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The beautiful and luxurious Hotel Vendome was constructed in the Back Bay area of Boston, Massachusetts in 1871. It was constructed on the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Dartmouth Street. This elite hotel was accommodated by presidents and ambassadors and was unique to its time. During 1881 the hotel became even more luxurious and elite when it was expanded and remodeled. Thomas Edison even visited and electric lights were installed and inspected, making Hotel Vendome the most modernized hotel in the country. It was constructed of “brick arches, steel beams, and masonry walls with slate covering the mansard roofs to prevent flying firebrands from spreading fire from one building to another” (Mochen 2012). This solid outstanding building endured a very rough period between 1968 and 1971. This structure endured 6 fires during these 3 years, causing the Public Safety Department and licensing division of Massachusetts to pull the occupancy permits due to life safety risks. At the end of the year in 1971, however, a new owner was issued a permit to begin to transform Hotel Vendome into 124 residential apartments and a shopping mall. Later that same afternoon, the new owner opened the basement area to serve as a café while the rest of the structure began the new renovation.
On the fateful and unforgettable afternoon of June 17, 1972 Hotel Vendome experienced yet another fire. Actually it experienced several fires in different locations on this date. Electricians working on the first floor reported smoke coming from the upper floors, and a bartender reported smoke in the basement. All occupants in the basement café were safely escorted out, and 3 engine companies, 2 ladder companies, and 1 District Chief arrived on scene noticing ...

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...afety should have inspected the building prior to issuing permits for further renovation, especially knowing this structure was going to be housing 124 residents. It seems that lack of knowledge from prior owners and lack of responsibility of city officials are responsible for this collapse and sadly, the loss of 9 brave men in the line of duty. The Boston Fire Department could have worked closer with the owner/ construction crew at the Hotel Vendome, and the deficiencies would have been found, and they would have known the instability they were walking into on June 17. At that point, firefighting operations would have more than likely been defensive. The firefighters did not conduct pre-incident planning which would have let them know they were going to face the construction barriers while attempting to lay hose, maneuver hose, and get the hose to a water source.

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