Burks Hotel Destroyed by Fire

09 Nov Burks Hotel Destroyed by Fire

June 21, 1907

Burks Hotel Destroyed by Fire

The Burks Hotel in Fayetteville burned to the ground on June 21, 1907. Mr. Silas Asbury Burks was the owner, having bought the large structure a few years earlier from Dr. James Bennett. The spacious two-story building was originally a dwelling house built in the 1850s and occupied by Colonel Mial M. Tidwell, a prominent lawyer in town. Sometimes after the fire (about 1909 or 1910) Mr. Burks rebuilt the hotel and it continued to operate until the mid-20^th century. Mrs. Mamie Burks Allen, daughter of Silas A. Burks, was the last owner and resident of the building. The historic structure stood until 1976 when Fayette County bought it and razed the building to make way for a parking lot. The Holiday Inn Express now occupies the site.

By John Lynch

Source: The History of Fayette County 1821 – 1971 Carolyn Cary, Ed. 1977

Ledger book of George Dorman