A fire broke out in the early morning hours in a carriage factory in the Covent Garden section of London and spread to the nearby St. Martin's Hall. The large concert hall, built in 1850 and capable of holding 3000 patrons, was completely destroyed. It had been a popular venue for music and other performances, Charles Dickens gave several of his readings there, and was rebuilt and reopened in 1863. The Queen's Theatre now occupies the site. (By John Osborne)
Source Citation
Chronicle, The Annual Register or a View of the History and Politics of the Year 1860 (London: F. & J. Rivington, 1861), 147.