Newsprint photo of 1950s roof fire damage at Mouns Jones House, with caption

c. 1952-55 photo from the Pottstown Mercury showing a worker “extinguishing the last traces of the fire on the roof of the oldest house in Berks County.” The fire was caused when “sparks from the scrap wood from the nearby (demolished covered) bridge that were being burned ignited the dry tar-paper roof.” The major consequence of the fire was the subsequent structural damage from water incursion that rotted the roof support system and eventually caused the 1957 collapse of the attic and 2d story framing and flooring onto the first floor [see record MJHDWG1].