March 31, 1947 Arson is suspected in a fire which destroyed the auditorium building (Parish Hall) of the St. James Episcopal Church and gutted the adjoining sexton’s house, doing $50,000 worth of damage (1947 estimate). The fire in the church was discovered shortly after 0200 hours by a passerby who called Sgt George H. Baade of the Smithtown Police Department to turn in the alarm.
Both the Smithtown and St. James Fire Departments responded and arrived to find heavy fire throughout the building. The incident commander was Chief Wueger. According to the Reverend J. Mills, rector of the church, was being used as a classroom for rehabilitating veterans and a recreation center for parish youth. The basement of the building housed a machine shop where carpentry classes were held, while the main floor was frequently used as a roller skating rink.
The 40X80 foot building, which was designed by Ford Butler and Oliver, was constructed in 1928. It served as a Sunday school room, a meeting hall and was used for indoor sports, dancing and social events. During the war, it was used as a headquarters for local the British Relief unit.
The sexton’s house was built immediately adjoining the auditorium and so connected that the attic of the house extended over the main floor of the other building with one roof covering both. Police at first surmised that the fire started in the oil burner, but changed their theory later in the day. No tell tale smudges indicating an oil burner explosion could be found in the house basement. Furthermore, when firefighters arrived, the majority of the fire was in the auditorium. The police department requested that the National Board of Fire Underwriters send investigators to probe the ruins for traces of arson.
Smithtown News 3-31-1947
Also referenced in the “History of the Smithtown Fire Department 1956”
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