Fire Destroys Landmark Home
Source: "Obituaries - Year - 1960 Volume B" from the Covington Public Library. Year 1968
COVINGTON — An historic landmark home, a seven-room; two-story brick structure, owned by Fred LaTourette of Perrysville Rt. 1, and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Ed Remster and family, , located about six miles south of Covington in Wabash Township, was destroyed by fire early Saturday morning, Jan. 27.
Mrs, Remster was awakened about 12:30 a.m. by the noise of the fire and she awakened her husband. He said their large kitchen was engulfed in flames at that time.
The Remsters were able to save only a few articles of clothing and a few pieces of furniture, amounting to approximately $50. Antiques and family heirlooms of the LaTourette family, stored in the attic were completely destroyed.
Remster said was no insurance. The fire was believed to have started in faulty electrical wiring, perhaps in the attached frame garage, which also burned to the ground. A farm tractor housed in the garage was destroyed but the Remster automobile was pushed away in time to avoid damage.
The land on which the house was built was entered on the county records in 1837 by John LaTourette, grandfather of Fred LaTourette, who settled in Wabash Township in 1829.
The house was built two years later, in 1839, and the bricks were fired on the property by the family. All the woodwork in the house, including the curved stairway, stairwells and cupboards were walnut, cut from walnut trees on the farm land. The walnut alone in the house was worth thousands of dollars, according to Mrs. LaTourette. There was a hill basement and a large attic in the house.
One of the historic items burned in the fire was the cradle in which Fred LaTourette, as an infant, was rocked to sleep. Mr. LaTourette is now 82 years old. .
The LaTourette family was well known throughout the Midwest for their weaving. A few of the coverlets, made in the mid-1800's, are still in existence today. Their waving started in a log cabin three years before the house was built. After the house was built, the looms were moved to it and weaving was continued uitil 1870.
Fred LaTourette's grandfather, John LaTourette, was the first school master in the township. His son, Schuyler, Fred's father, was one of the outstanding pioneers of Fountain County.
Firemen from Covington, Veedersburg and Perrysville responded to the call for help. Water tanks from all three departments were used, Covington firemen remained on the scene for several hours.
At about 7 p.m. Saturday night, the Covington firemen answered a call to the home of Mrs. Rosa Gremore at Portland Arch, Shawnee Township,
Approximately $200 damage was caused by a fire around the flue of the gas furnace at tbe Grenmore home. Mrs. Gremore had just returned home whew the fire was discovered.
Covington firemen were there about an hour. - jz