Courtesy of the Hagley Museum & Library, and the Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society

Destruction of the Paoli Coal & Supply Co.
A fire started at about 12:20 on July 29, 1932 which would completely destroy all the buildings and lumber in the two-acre property of the Paoli Coal & Supply Co., and threatened the Paoli railroad station, two blocks of nearby dwellings, and several railroad buildings. Field fires broke out in the vicinity of Paoli station and in a radius of several blocks, apparently from flying sparks.

Firemen from Paoli, Berwyn, Malvern, West Chester, Radnor, Ardmore, Bryn Mawr and Wayne Quickly abandoned efforts to save any buildings in the yard, and concentrated their efforts on saving surrounding property. Train crews and yard workers in the Paoli car shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad joined the firemen, while showers of sparks fell on the freight station roof, the main station, yardmaster’s house and other railroad buildings.

The ill-fated yard was situated on the north side of the railroad and just west of North Valley Road. Fortunately their were no injuries resulting from the blaze.