Henry Glass: Hotel Keeper

American Volunteer, May 2, 1861. “DESTRUCTIVE FIRE. Glass’ Hotel in Ashes—Narrow Escape of the Inmates—Heavy Loss, etc. etc. On Monday morning (April 29), about one o’clock, as two United States soldiers were returning to the Garrison from town they discovered, in passing Glass’ Hotel, that the building was on fire. They at once gave the alarm, but before Mr. Glass, his family and boarders could be roused, the fire, which originated, it is supposed, at the foot of the stairs, had made such headway, that escape from the main building in the ordinary way was found impossible. Indeed, so rapid were the flames, that in a few minutes, every story was in a blaze. Lemuel Todd, Esq., and family, occupied a corner room in the second story, and finding that the entire building was on fire, Mr. T., his wife and two children jumped to the pavement and lit on a mattress that had first been thrown out. They all escaped without injury. Mr. Harrison Bowman of Middlesex Township, who was lodging in the house, jumped to the pavement from the second story without receiving any damage. S. V. Ruby, Esq. occupied a corner room in the third story. He remained in his room (in the hope that a ladder would arrive,) until the flames bursted through the door. Finding the heat too great to permit him to remain longer, he threw his bed to the two soldiers on the pavement who held it, and he leaped upon it. It was a fearful jump, but yet Mr. R. escaped injury. He was severely burned, however, before he left his room, both his hands being almost roasted. He is doing well. Andrew Bixler¹ of West Pennsborough Township, a member of Capt. Henderson’s new Volunteer Company, also occupied a room in the third story. He, too, jumped from his window to the pavement, and the only injury he received was a severe sprain of one ankle and one or two bruises. He is at Hannon’s Hotel, and is well cared for. Mr. Glass and his family occupied rooms over the back building, and they all got out in safety. All the furniture in the main building was lost. Mr. Todd lost every stick of clothing belonging to his family, his furniture, valuable papers, etc; also some $200 in gold. About $100 has been fished from the ashes.

Mr. Glass is insured, we learn, on his house and furniture to the amount of $7,500. This amount, however, will not cover more than two-thirds his loss: perhaps not that much. How the fire originated no one knows. It commenced on the stairway, and no doubt was the result of carelessness on the part of some one about the house.”

Henry Glass had come to Carlisle with his wife² and children in 1847 to keep the Perry and Cumberland Exchange Hotel at North Hanover and North streets.³ He later took over the well-known Washington Hotel (Glass’ Hotel) on the north west corner of the square. According to the 1860 U. S. Census, Henry, his wife Maria, their seven children, seven domestics and 11 guests were living in the hotel on June 7, 1860 which included the family of Isaac Todd.

The sheriff sold Glass’s burned out property in December 1862,⁴ and Glass moved to Philadelphia where he established himself as the proprietor of a hotel at Haverford and 31^st Street. He kept a hotel in Philadelphia during the 1860s and 1870s until his son Abner took it over.