Eastern Market Burns, then library does too

It's bad enough that there was a three-alarm fire at Eastern Market yesterday, destroying the butcher, bakery and fishmonger stalls - but not 12 hours later another blaze ripped through the Georgetown Public Library, which was housed in a Victorian mansion and held valuable books, artwork, and documents about the neighborhood, much of which is lost.

Eastern Market is over 130 years old. The North Hall - where the craftsmakers and artists hav their shops - was spared, and the main building's flower and flea market stalls weren't burned, but the old building suffered a lot of damage. The outdoor flea market, at least, will open this weekend - who knows how long it will take to get the rest of the Market open again? DC officials announced yesterday that reconstruction work will begin at once.

I hope they get it open again soon... It was a wonderful place. Crowded all the time, its old brick walls redolent with over a century of selling everything - meat, eggs, poultry, crafts, art, vegetables, fruit, cheese, lunch ... a real neighborhood market that had tourists, too. It was fun and welcoming.

(Here's a an appreciation of the Market.)

I know my sister, the fire chief, would focus on one thing in both fires, so I have to mention it: no sprinklers.