Day of the Fire
On Saturday, January 31st at 7:13 am - a fire at Historic Onancock School was called in to local fire departments. These local fire departments, Onancock, Melfa, Tasley, Painter, and Wachapreague, showed up extremely quickly and were able to minimize the damage to the beautiful, historic building. HOS is eternally grateful to these fire departments and their personnel for fighting this fire for two and a half hours that morning.
The fire started in the basement level of the south wing of the building in room B6, 11:11 Spa. At this time, the cause of the fire is unknown. Our tenant and founder of 11:11 Spa, Thomas Townsend, lost the entirety of his studio. Although the damage from the fire was localized to one area, soot and smoke damage were present through the entire building to various degrees. All tenants who have studios in HOS were asked to vacate the building because of the comprehensive cleaning and restoration process. The company that is responsible for the restoration is estimating that this process will take 3-4 months.
Here's the good news - none of the memorabilia that we have collected over the years was affected beyond repair. Archives of yearbooks and trophies are safe. Additionally, because the historic building is owned by the Town of Onancock, their insurance policy will be covering the necessary repairs. However, our normal operating income has been greatly impacted. In the wake of the fire, we need your help. By donating today, you will be helping us supplement income from rental payments, pay higher utility costs, and replace building furniture that had to be thrown out due to soot damage. We are passionate about preserving this historic building but we can't do it without your help. Please consider donating by clicking the link below. Every dollar helps!
Despite this tragedy, our local community has shown up in major ways. An effort was organized to help tenants move and store their items. Money has been raised for the small businesses affected. Our HOS team has become closer than ever, our staff, tenants, and Board of Directors, are working closely together to continue our mission of creating a welcoming space for the community. The Town of Onancock has been helpful and communicative during this time. They also allowed staff to use a space downtown as a temporary office! We are incredibly grateful that the damage was not worse and for our unique, supportive community. You have been a shining light in these difficult times. Thank you. We are still moving forward in planning the annual events that you love. Dates may be different but stay tuned for updates about Blooms & Brushes and Field Day Fiesta. Of course, we are also moving forward with shows at the Pavilion. Onancock is celebrating Sail250 June 12th-14th and HOS will still be a huge part of the celebration! We may be down, but we are not out! Our future still looks bright and our tenants are excited to come back to a building that has been refreshed, with new paint and ceilings!
We will see you soon!