Cocoanut Grove Fire Site & Memorial Plaque, Boston MA

Video of the Cocoanut Grove Fire site located at Piedmont & Church Streets (near Park Square). 492 people tragically perished as a result of the fire. The only marker is a plaque that was donated by residents of the neighborhood. Hopefully a more substantial monument will be dedicated for this event. The fire is third worst in American history as measured by loss of life. It is now believed that methyl chloride in the air conditioning likely caused the flashover in the ceiling, 60 years too late. A parking lot takes up most of the footprint of where the night club stood. The memorial is embedded in the sidewalk. Please note that this can be considered a somber location. Walking slowly was intentional. The reflection of light at the end was coincidental.

[@maestro-zq8gu]

If you are looking for it as of 2020, it's now on the corner on the next street down (Cocoanut Grove street) Apparently the residents of the new condos built on the site got frustrated with people looking at the plaque and had it relocated. Seems pretty messed up to me that they did that.

[@solinvictus39]

Pretty shocking to see such a small, insignificant memorial is all that exists on that site. Almost 500 people died on that spot and all they could do is put a cheap bronze plaque the size of something you'd see in a pet cemetery there?

[@christinestange4813]

Yikes! Rather minimal 💔

[@joycehanlon4403]

On November 30, 2013, the 71st anniversary of the tragic fire, the Cocoanut Grove Memorial Committee and Mayor Menino's Office worked together to rename Shawmut Street Extension, which runs through what was the main dinning room of the Grove, to Cocoanut Grove Lane. A dedication was held on November 30, and was attended by over 300 people, many families and friends of those who survived or perished in the fire. Three survivors attended, John Rizzo, a waiter, Marshall Cole a dancer and Ann Gallagher, who lost her parents and boy friend. Mayor Elect, Marty Walsh gave a poignant speech, as did Rod Fraser, the City Fire Commissioner. Dr. Ken Marshall, a CG Committee member, also spoke about the medical improvements to treat burn patients, as well as sharing that his mother was a nurse at Boston City Hospital during the night of the fire. It was a wonder dedication that received great news coverage. Just Google Cocoanut Grove Street Renaming for news coverage. In addition to family members, Ed Murphy the 1942 Holy Cross football captain and his family attended as did Michelle Holivak Harrison, the daughter of Mike Holivak, who was the Boston College football co-captain, and later Head Coach of the Boston Patriots. As Mrs. Gallagher stated, today is a sad day but a happy day. The site of the Cocoanut Grove will always be remembered, its at the corner of Piedmont and Cocoanut Grove Lane. The Cocoanut Grove Committee would like to thank Mayor Menino, Hilani Morales of his Office, The Revere Hotel and everyone who attended. We are in the planning stages to have a larger memorial place in a nearby city park and will be creating a web site for further information. Many thanks. The Cocoanut Grove Memorial Committee: Dr. Ken Marshall Mike Hanlon Paul Miller

[@stalkerstomper3304]

7 years after this posting... where's the larger memorial??? It seems as though most of this memorial honoring was all for show that day.

[@WilliamsBallMusic]

70 years ago today. RIP

[@Rajnoma]

I totally agree that we need a more fitting memorial for those who perished in Boston's worst fire. Everybody in Boston had at least one friend or relative who perished in that horrifying fire. My mother had sold War Bonds during WW II at the Grove; thank God, she was not there that night (she was at the nearby Mayfair instead-- a sudden change of plans!) However,one of her friends died in the Grove that night. May the Lord grant eternal rest for the souls of those who suffered.

[@unzarjones]

I was looking for the plaque on Google's street view, but didn't know it was on the sidewalk.

[@ddivincenzo1]

My great aunt had plans to meet her friends there that night. For some reason, she had to cancel out. Her friends all perished. R.I.P.

[@tomtkl]

The reason there is a small plaque is, the snobby clods of that neighborhood didn't even want the one that is there.Some even asked the city to remove the one that is there because"it brings up bad memories of the incident" . Boston is home to some of the worst assholes in the country and Mass hole achu setts is the granola state "land of the fruits and nuts"

[@FDNYBase08]

@Rajnoma One of my biggest fears working midnights in Manhattan was the possibility of a nightclub incident. On the west side of Manhattan, they have one whole city block of nothing but clubs.The one time I did respond to a reported fire at a club, thankfully it was a false alarm called in by someone who was kicked out. But the panic that existed even for a false alarm made my skin crawl. People forget where we've been and as such, still don't realize what could happen at places like these.

[@Celebrateboston]

You are correct, but today I cannot refer people to Broadway & Shawmut. Related, at the end of the Radisson Garage there is an alley that goes to Stuart Street. I'm not sure if that's the last remnant of old Broadway? Thank you for the feedback. It's great to see there are other history buffs out there

[@jeffgoff6761]

That plaque that's it? What the hell Boston.?

[@jbro4400]

I agree. In case you didn't know it's because the snobby yuppies who own real estate there didn't want anything that had to do with a tradgedy defacing their precious property. Some idiots are do full of themselves.

[@michaelhaywood6990]

Think Boston needs to step it up and create a decent memorial...who cares who it offends

[@Rajnoma]

The horror of the Cocoanut Grove fire should NEVER have happened again, in a time when we've learned so much more about fire safety in public establishments, yet a terrible fire did occur at The Station Nightclub in W. Warwick, R.I. in 2003--no sprinklers and a pyrotechnic display indoors! There are still 'fire traps" with locked , chained or barred exits, in this metro area, I was told by a former fire chief, that only make their places fire safe when forced to do so by municipal authority.

[@lilmissbunny80]

The site doesn’t seem very big. I assume the underground part was filled in.

[@comitube]

Back when Kevin White was mayor of Boston I wrote him because that particular day he was dedicating a park for some publicity. I asked him why it was there was nothing to denote the spot where so many died. Right next door to me was a garage where, on the night of the fire, bodies were placed because the morgue and hospitals ran out of room. It took years and years but finally neighbors banded together and got the permission to dedicate a plague. Ugly as it is.

[@hovanti]

I agree with the others desiring a better memorial.

[@FDNYBase08]

@Rajnoma How quick we forget about these fires. And just when you think it can't happen again, with safety measures and the like, BANG the Rhode Island fire occurs.

[@keithsmove]

Kinda a cheesy memorial for so many lives lost..... Yuppies dont want anything bigger?

[@georgekenney8121]

on top of that they build the condor building on Hollow Ground where 492 people lost their lives in that fire and i feel that the residents of the new condos should mind their own business and that the city of Boston should had not move the Cocoanut Grove Fire Site & Memorial Plaque down the street they leave it where it belongs in memory of all those lost lives on November 28 1942 80 years ago this month November 2022,

[@bubbleglass]

That's it? Seems like a disservice and an insult to those who died.

[@zacharygraves-miller9129]

Can I use this footage in my Film sixlockeddoors.com about the cocoanut grove fire? #cocoanutgrove #sixlockeddoorsfilm

[@GoodfellasNYC]

A plaque? That's it? For 500 deaths? The red Soxs have a better memorial for winning world series than that thing!

[@bubbleglass]

That's it? Seems like a disservice and an insult to those who died.