On behalf of Shirley Rosenfeld:

Eastern Market is the soul of our community, the civic center, a vibrant symbol of what urban life can be. Our hearts go out to the Canales, the Inmans, the Calomiris and all the merchants affected. We want to do everything possible to rebuild the market as quickly as possible. Please keep us posted on community meetings and your efforts to regain our Eastern Market.

It was good to see you at Eastern Market this morning, Tommy. I was there taking pictures for my new Capitol Hill blog: "Pot of George."

I greatly appreciated your telling the vendors of your commitment to make sure the outside market is up and running again this weekend.

My wife and I shopped there just yesterday. It was heartrending to learn on the NPR news this morning of the fire.

Thank you again for your concern and active help.

Although we don't live on Capitol Hill, my husband and I drive in every single weekend to do our grocery shopping at the Eastern Market from Kensington. Over the years we have come to think of the vendors as friends. Our heart goes out to all of you -- the guys at Union Meat, Melvin and his family, the Canales, the Bowers. If Mayor Fenty can make good on his promise to try to find you temporary space while the market is rebuilt I can promise you I'll still be there every weekend to shop with you no matter where it is. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Tommy - Thank you for taking the lead on this.

My wife and I live on the Hill in part because of Eastern Market and a lunch at Tunnicliff's in 1993. We know the Calomiris, the Canales, Jack at the cheese booth, the hot links for lunch, the great jams to be had at the bakery, the poultry counters, and a number of the artists who exhibit there on Sundays. As importantly, those folks know us - what we like, what cheeses (hmmm) to recommendm and even when to laugh at my jokes.

This is a heartbreaker.

Chris Berendes
2nd and E St, SE

I live 2 blocks from Eastern Market. I plan on going up tonight with some of my neigbors tonight....I have lived on the Hill since 1982. One of the factors that has kept me on the Hill even through all of the bad times is Eastern Market! Melvin, Tommy and his family with Market Lunch and seafood and meats - the Calomiris family etc...and the outside vendors too. I shop for the week every Saturday and Sunday. When I have had a bad week, I go there to "feel the community" and then my week's woes are lifted.
I will help organize or whatever we need to do to get that market open fully - but love that I have heard that we can do something temporary this weekend! How about blocking off entire street to let vendors have tented areas - just idea.....
Thank goodness we have Tommy Wells as our councilmember! I know that you will push for emergency funds etc.

I was so devastated to hear about this terrible loss, for the merchants, their patrons, and the whole Capitol Hill community. I sincerely hope we can get a temporary situation up and going for the vendors soon, and that we can rebuild Eastern Market to all her former glory as quickly as possible. I would be happy to be a part of any organizing committee that is going to make this re-building happen.

On behalf of Brian Alcorn:

Councilman Wells,

Thanks for your support and immediate concern in helping Eastern Market recover. I know you will be committed to seeing a swift and logical recovery.

In the interim, I would urge you to take steps to continue the viability of the Saturday and Sunday marketplaces in this time of crisis.

Working with remaining local business owners, I urge you to consider closing 7th between Pennsylvania and North Carolina on the weekends to all but pedestrian traffic -- so vendors can continue commerce through the critical summer season. This will take commitment on behalf of the DC government as well as resources - but think this could be a quick fix as the Market and its surrounding sidewalks are almost certainly going to be fenced off out of public safety concerns.

Again thanks for interim steps and best regards.

While I currently live in Pittsburgh, this story literally brought tears to my eyes. When I lived and worked in DC, I spent MANY weekends at this historic marketplace.

All too often people consider Washington a transient city, with no real sense of personal identity. It is unique places like the Eastern Market that make Washington not just a seat of government, but a wonderful place to live in its own right.

Please bring back this bit of local flavor with all possible speed. I will absolutely make the trek "home" for a crab cake sandwich on opening day.

My wife and I live on the Hill in part because of Eastern Market and a lunch we had at Tunnicliff's in 1993.

We know many of the vendors - the Canales, the Calomiris, Jack at the Cheese booth - and as importantly, they know us (the cheeses to recommend, the jokes to laugh at).

I'm grateful that Tommy is responding to this so quickly.

I have been going to the Eastern Market since I transferred here 1991. It is one of the most unique aspects in a city of remarkable places. I was very upset this morning to hear the news. I would hope that repairing the market is a priority, for the vendors who each make so special, for the customers for whom it cannot be replaced and for Washington DC-for whom so much of her history has been sold in the name of progress.

To those of us who have shopped at Eastern Market for years, the vendors are like family. Almost 30 years ago, the first time my mother visited me after my marriage, Mr. Calomiris, who then also sold flowers, insisted on giving me a big bouquet for her. For all these years, the Market has been not only a source of wonderful food and gifts but a real community for so many, on the Hill and off. Thanks, Tommy, for taking the lead on this.

On behalf of Mary Tierney:

I do not know what I would do without Eastern Market. I became a regular customer when a friend of mine suggested that I buy my Christmas goose from Market Poultry. I called them and order the goose. I asked if they needed a "down payment" and the man said absolutely not. He said, if you took the trouble to call us, you will show up and pick up the goose. I will not buy anyone else's chickens, beef, fish, vegetables. I have my Christmas food shopping down to a science. I order the goose, vegetables, fruit, cheese ahead of time and pick it up and it is always ready for me. Customer service is what everyone is about. I drive over from Adams-Morgan to get my food. Please let us know what we can do. It would be great if you could keep us appraised of the progress.

Mary Tierney, MD

It is heartbreaking to see such an important part of D.C. life missing after the Eastern Market fire. Please, please do everything you can to get it rebuilt fast and get it rebuilt as it was. Although I now live in Arlington, I would do anything within my power to rebuild the Market. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Maybe the community can become involved through a Habitat for Humanity style project. Rebuilding the Market could bring all of us closer together.

I hope it will be possible to bring it back close to Eastern Market's true spirit, a place for ALL DC residents, not just an upscale food emporium like, for example, Dean & Deluca. EVERYBODY loves Eastern Market, everybody loves the vendors and everybody is heartbroken. This will be a real test for the city. Can the city do it right without endless studies, consultants & planning meetings? Can the city rebuild quickly? There is a consensus in the community, we like Eastern Market the way it was with some modern safety upgrades. Don't spend millions hiring a team of high-priced consultants to tell you what you already know.

As a Capitol Hill homeowner, I to was saddened learn of the fire last night. I wanted to just provide one idea for a temporary solution. (Admittedly, without knowing the feasibility of this...). But is there any way to outfit the DC Armory to temporarily house some of the merchants/vendors? I realize this is not ideal for lots of reasons - but thought that maybe this could be a temporary fix.

On behalf of Gail Moore:

Tommy,

The Eastern Market Fire is tragic. Although I don't live on the Hill anymore, I try to make it over there at least once a month.

Last year I held a gumbo fundraiser for a friend who was in Afghanistan, "Operation Marine Angel" The Inmans and the Calomiris helped make it a huge success by donating veggies and chicken. I simply asked and they said "sure whatever we can do".

In that spirit, I was wondering if there is any way we can help out the vendors? I'm sure the building will be restored, but I'm concerned with the immediate livelihood of the vendors and those who work for them at the market. These people are the heart and soul of the Market.

If you know of a fund, or if someone is creating one, please let me know.

Thanks

Below is a reposted comment to Marc Fisher's Wash Post Blog in an effort to jump start ideas to solve the problem instead of lamenting.

"DerbyHouse had the same idea I have been mulling over since 3:30 in the morning, when I woke up to an amazing amount of fire trucks outside of my house. The roof on the southern end was literally glowing red.

I too am deeply saddened, but I keep it in perspective. What burned was a building and what is seemingly lost is a sense of home. People were not hurt, violent or otherwise, and for that I am grateful. This is a tragedy that can be solved, unlike so many others in the world at the moment.

7th street is a seldom-used street, relative to others in the city. Locals often avoid driving down it because of the tight quarters and odd access to neighboring streets. As structural concerns may keep vendors away from the green awning, the roadway of 7th street is a fine location for temporarily relocating the interior vendors for seven days a week commerce, until the building can be rebuilt.

Detroit's own Eastern Market (easternmarket dot org) hosts a large amount of vendors that sell meats, cheeses, veggies, etc. in an outdoor setting.

Put on your thinking caps and imagine 7th street closed for a year during renovation. Tall tall white tents with a solid aluminum frames line 7th and C street to 7th and North Carolina. All the interior vendors that we all love have a semi-permanent setups under those tents, possibly with refrigeration trucks or units to back them up. We are after all dealing with meats and cheeses. Maybe even supplementary refrigeration units are placed inside the market 5 gallery from where we often hear dance lessons going on Thursday nights.

Across from the Eastern Market building the city allows the weekend outside vendors special permission to setup very gingerly around Tunnicliffs, Petite Gourmet, and Port City. The area outside of the Market 5 Gallery remains open to outside vendors with some well placed shrubbery to guide peoples attention away from the building and the green awning and direct them into the street.

People have stated that the outdoor vendors should continue on. And as an outdoor vendor I plan to continue if at all possible. However, I realize that the Calomirises, Canales, Inmans, and the rest that comprise the interior of the Eastern Market building are the corner stone of the weekend's festivities. Without them we are salesman outside of a burnt building. And for the weekend outside vendors to survive the neighborhood needs to feel that the whole of the market will continue.

This is just one idea, but it is a start to a solution that should include all the people we love to see each weekend. I don't want to go a year without Jack's cheese or a crab cake sandwich!

To all those reading this blog, if you know someone that can help please play the six degrees of separation game to get our wishes and ideas known to the mayor."

I no longer live on the Hill having moved to NY several years ago, but I was in town visiting this weekend and made my regular saturday pilgramage to Eastern Market. I have always missed the community and can only think of the many mornings spent at the market. It has been a gathering place for my friends and family, the first place I take out of towners, and a constant in an ever changing city. I nearly cried this morning when a friend sent an email with the news. I hope that by my next visit there is a functioning market.

what about using Hine as a temporary easternMarket-- at least plan on it for the summer time when school is out.

Turning loss around.

I’m advocating that we focus on opportunity rather than loss. Yes, the Market burning is a terrible shock. And now, we have the chance to make it even better than it was by supporting the existing vendors through whatever transition time is necessary for rebuilding.

I’ve suggested to Market Poultry and a couple of other people, that a website be set up where shoppers can place prepaid orders for pick up on weekends. As a previous commenter noted, many of us who shop the Market regularly, plan our purchases in advance. Using an ecommerce site for such a purpose will keep the money flowing directly into the vendors’ hands (thus, supporting the entire supply chain) and help consumers to maintain access to the products they want.

I’d be happy to help in this endeavor and am looking forward to taking each and every opportunity to support the rebuilding of the Market with its heart intact.

Someone said to me this morning that the fabric of the neighborhood is torn. NOT SO! We still live here. The building may need work and the vendors need support, but the community is as strong as ever.

Someone else lamented that ‘it will never be the same.’ In a few ways, that isn’t actually a bad thing. The infrastructure of the building needed renovation for decades. Now, the infighting and power struggles that kept that from happening are moot.

It is painful. No denying that. But it also possible.
If we continue to pull together, as so many communities who have suffered similar shocks, we can make the Market even better.

Can we erect a circus tent at the square above Eastern Market Metro to house the merchants until the market is rebuilt?

I have real concerns about what is going to happen next at the market. Fifteen years ago I was covering the preservation and development debate for that place for the Hill Rag.
There are many people and powers who are going to want to "bring it up to code" in ways that strip the market of its visual appeal and unique character. I fear we may be in for a big, long, divisive fight on what the market will look like, who will pay for it, who will decide, what preservation rules will want and what building codes will demand.
Count me in on a citizen's steering committee if one is formed, and I am working on a fundraising scheme that I hope can yield big money to help the vendors and do the restoration correctly.
please contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you'd like to help with a private fundraising effort. I wax eloquent to everyone who will listen on why I love where I live. Eastern Market is first through tenth on the list.
Thanks,
pam

Tommy, this is devastating. I hope you'll continue to let your constituents know what they can do for the vendors and what we can do to help you in your efforts to get the city to start to rebuild. I have seen some posts about closing off seventh street this weekend or on weekends following. I think it is a great idea. The street provides little use as a traffic thoroughfare and would provide a terrific gathering place for vendors and the community. As others have said, Lisa and I will be a part of any effort to plan events to raise money for the rebuild.

I grew up on the hill and worked at eastern market in the gallery and with the vendors. It is a magical and special place. I always visit when I am visiting DC from Boston. Please help the merchants survive this terrible ordeal. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all.

I live in the 600 block of C Street SE and can see the south end of Eastern Market from my front door. While I was heartsick to see all the damage caused by the fire early this morning, I'm thankful that no one was injured and that efforts have already begun to help displaced vendors and to plan for restoration of the building. As soon as I finish this message I'll contribute to the "Eastern Market: Keeping It Going" fund. What else can I do to help?

Like everyone else, I too was devastated when I walked by what is left of what used to be the center of the Capitol Hill Community. I agree that residents should push for a temporary location for the vendors so that the community can show its support by continuing to purchase Eastern Market goods. I also have two other concerns. First, I hope the rebuild will be quick (unlike the amount of time it took to do the outside area). Second, I hope the city finds out how this happened in order to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Like everyone else in the neighborhood, I was very upset when I learned of the fire at Eastern Market. I applaud all efforts to rebuild the market quickly, but both the vendors and Hill residents need a temporary solution to cover the intervening months. Perhaps refrigerated trucks and/or tents on 7th street, which would require a special power source, but seems doable.

I'll make my contribution to the fund, but I also hope I can continue to do commerce with all the find vendors of the market whom I've come to depend on for much of my grocery shopping over the years.

I am saddened of course, and probably won't really feel the full impact until this weekend. But I feel strongly that the DC government should use this tragedy as an opportunity to bring some changes to the Market's governance. A friend who sells at the Dupont Circle farmer's market tells me that there were efforts some years ago to set up a true, local, fresh-food farmer's market near Eastern Market, not even necessarily on the weekend, but that the merchants indoors blocked it. I do not think the public should be subsizing a private monopoly. If we are going to ante up, then we need more of a say in the governance of the institution.

I generally avoid Eastern Market on the weekends because of the large crowds and the difficulty of navigating a double stroller between the packed tables. Instead, Henry and Lucy and I make a special trip to the Market each Friday to pick up challah to celebrate the Sabbath; we buy apples, cookies, sliced muenster, and the ingredients for whatever’s on the menu that evening. But this past Sunday, as I attempted to hurry them past the corner of 7th and North Carolina, Henry started begging for some fruit. I looked at my watch and quickly calculated how much time this side trip would cost us, but in the end, couldn’t resist such a plaintive request. Henry and Lucy took their time meandering down the sidewalk, stopping to look at brightly colored beads, purses, soap, and candles. It was already past five o’clock, so most of the fruit and vegetable vendors had packed up, but we managed to find some snacks at the last table. I looked back toward North Carolina and that one block seemed to be two miles long. But when I turned around and saw the happy face of my son as he clutched a fistful of grapes and walked slowly behind me, enjoying every bite, I was suddenly reminded that the journey is just as important as reaching the destination. I am so glad that we had that special moment with the Market yesterday.

My grandfather used to sell Christmas trees outside of Eastern Market, for years and years- until they told him he couldn't lean the trees against the wall. Then he called it quits. I remember when we were little, Pop would let my brother sell holly, and one of our neighbors would send the best tuna fish sandwiches ever for lunch. My brother was an excellent holly salesman (who could resist those big blue eyes?) We'd use the proceeds to buy scallops and half-smokes inside to take home to mom for a special Christmas dinner. I hope the restorations go well, and my thoughts and prayers are with those vendors who have such losses. Best of everything, hope you're back up and running soon!

I got my start in life at Eastern Market. In the 1970s, as a child, I remember a fruit seller, Chris, used to make an apple disappear into the hood of my coat - a symbol of the community spirit that stood in stark contract from the impersonal hustle and bustle of most aspects of city life. Later, when I was a teen ager, John Harrod at the gallery showed me that kids and their dreams deserve a chance and can make a difference, when he supported our Young Players of Capital Hill theater group. Eastern Market sews seeds of community spirit that spread into the future. Please donate generously and advacate for the market to be rebuilt. It's a rare gem.
Best wishes to all from Oak Park, Illinois.

I am sadden about the severe damages to an Historic Building and more important, the vendors and the community that it serves. As an Insurance Operations Specialist with the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, my Department stands ready to assist any of the affected persons as it relates to Insurance and Banking concerns. As a resident of Ward 6, I expect the rebuilding to start as soon as possible and to restore the livehood of those affected. I commend Councilman Wells and Mayor Fenty on the immediate actions put together to restore this historic landmark and to assist those who have suffered losses.

I also moved to the Hill mainly b/c of the market. I've never really felt at home in DC, but Capitol Hill is different. I too want to be a part of any organizing committee. Please put up information on how we can help volunteer.

A commenter on this thread suggested that the DC Armory could be a good temporary space for the Market's indoor vendors. Another possibility might be the old navy hospital at 9th and Pennsylvania, SE. I've only been inside for the occasional ANC meeting, so I don't really know what shape this buidling is in and what it can support, but it's not outside the question that it will work as a temporary space, and importantly, a local one.

Councilman Wells, I appreciate your due attention in attending to the merchants who have worked so hard in the market all these years. I hope that during the planning phase for its renewal that it be updated -- mechanically, and some physically while retaining the essence of what Eastern Market has been known for -- an old fashioned market with a fishmonger, a deli, a butcher, cheese shop and green grocer. We do not need anything more. I think its important to keep the open architecture of the building as well. Do your best, and remember we'll be watching closely.

How said this is, but I'm so glad our elected officials are getting involved in the rebuilding plans right away. The Market has sat patiently waiting for promised upgrades, hasn't it? Well, now it will finally get them. Hint: air-conditioning?
Perhaps there are ideas to be gained from elsewhere, like San Francisco or Philadelphia, which have upgraded their markets?

I know there has been much talk about figuring out a place for the vendors to set up shop. What about moving the art folks to the Washington Naval Hospital on Pennsylvania? And then the food vendors could set up a limited, but functional space in the north end of the hall. As for the Hospital space--renovations are almost complete, there have been no interesting proposals yet, perhaps even give some of the artists studio space, and it would bring more life down that way on Penn.

bowers cheese staff with tessa and jack is opened onfriday,sat. and sundays. it is carry a wide variety of select sheese to meet your holiday needs.

I'm down in Ga now but I was raised in D.C near Marine barracks. I had many trips to market(also attened Hine before war)I loved that place and it shook me to hear about it. Is Inman a rel of Oscar inman? I also knew a Calamiris(Eastern HS) There used to be a Wallach elementary school(went there also)