Fire starting shortly after 5 o’clock yesterday morning completely destroyed the building on West Market street occupied by the Union Motor Company. The cause of the fire is not known. It started in the basement of the building in which was stored about 150 bags of fertilizer. Stored in the garage was a large number of automobiles, 21 cars and four trucks being completely destroyed.
The building, owned by the Reidsville Cooperative Warehouse Co., was one of the first brick structures build in Reidsville. Nearly 40 years ago it was used as a leaf tobacco warehouse; later as a livery stable; junk quarters and during the past few years operated as a garage owned by George T. Cook. The building was just in front of the Cooperative Warehouse, and the fact that this and other adjoining buildings were not destroyed was due to the splendid work done by the local fire department.
This was the third time recently that a fire of unknown origin was discovered in or in close proximity to the warehouse. Mr. Cook carried only $1,000 insurance on his garage business. A number of the individual car owners, however, also had insurance. The Cooperative Warehouse company carried $2,000 insurance on the building destroyed.
Slight damage was done the colored opera house and Sam Watkin’s store building on either side of the garage, and the roof of the Cooperative Warehouse was damaged to some extent by the tumbling brick wall.
From the front page of The Reidsville Review, Monday, April 9, 1923
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