The Richmond Theatre Fire Rekindled

by Fran Withrow 06.2023

“The House is on Fire,” is Rachel Beanland’s fictionalized account of the real life Richmond theatre fire of 1811. This fire, which occurred at the site of the current Monumental Church on East Broad Street, was at the time the worst calamity ever in the United States. Seventy-two people of the six hundred or so patrons who packed the building died, and scores more were injured. The theatre was poorly designed, and people on the third floor had only one narrow staircase through which to escape as the entire building burned down. Others jumped from windows in desperation, only to die upon impact. This was a tragedy of epic proportions.

The fire was so horrible, and the identification of bodies so difficult, that the city decided to build a crypt on site to house the dead, which is now part of Monumental Church. 

Beanland, a Richmond author, takes this story and makes it come alive through the lens of four people who represent those affected by the fire.

Sally Campbell is a widow who goes to the theatre on that fateful night with her sister-in-law, Margaret, and Margaret’s husband, Archie. Sally notices that Archie disappears in the darkness of the hallway during the fire, and that many men scramble over women in their efforts to escape. This may be why 54 of the 72 who died were women. Sally discovers untold reserves of courage as she attempts to aid those wounded by the fire.

Gilbert Hunt is an enslaved blacksmith. I found his character so fascinating I ended up doing more research about him after I finished the book. Hunt is credited with working with a local doctor who dropped women from a window into Hunt’s waiting arms. It makes perfect sense to me that Hunt’s enslaver is furious when he finds out about Hunt’s courage because Hunt could have been hurt, which would have eaten into the enslaver’s profit.

Cecily Price has accompanied her enslaver, Maria, to the theatre. Cecily’s plight is a horrendous one: Maria’s brother Elliott has been abusing Cecily since she was five years old. Cecily has just learned that Elliott is to be married and plans to take her with him to his new home. When Cecily escapes safely from the theatre, she sees an opportunity to run away to the north. Can her uncle, Gilbert Hunt, help her escape?

Jack Gibson is a young boy who works for the theatre company as a stagehand. His mistake is the first catalyst for the fire. When the other actors devise a plan to blame enslaved people for the tragedy, Jack must decide whether to follow his conscience and confess, or keep quiet, despite threats from the theatre company that employs him. 

Beanland expertly weaves the themes of racism, injustice, and sexism into the story. In “The House is on Fire,” Beanland brings a piece of Richmond’s history to life. Her story is a well written, gripping read about this little known historical event. I hope we haven’t heard the last from this exquisitely talented local author.