Villa Rica Explosion - GHS 022-1 - Carroll Co. GA
Posted by: 
Lat34North
N 33° 43.894 W 084° 55.181
16S E 692731 N 3734336
Located in front of Berry's Pharmacy on U.S. Route 78 at the intersection with South Chandler Street in downtown Villa Rica.
Waymark Code: WM3R6T
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 05/09/2008
Views: 89
Villa Rica Explosion
Around 11:00 a.m. on December 5, 1957, a natural gas leak under Berry's Pharmacy caused an explosion that destroyed four buildings and damaged several others in Villa Rica's downtown. The explosion killed twelve and injured twenty. The tragedy highlighted the need for both an organized local emergency response unit and the use of odor in the natural gas supply.
The civil defense unit that resulted became a model for west Georgia. Ensuing litigation placed a considerable financial burden on the city, suppressing economic development for years. In terms of injury and loss of life, the explosion remains the most catastrophic event in Carroll County history.
2007.11 Erected by the Georgia Historical Society, City of Villa Rica, and Villa Rica Downtown Development Authority 22-1
Located in front of Berry's Pharmacy on U.S. Route 78 at the intersection with South Chandler Street in downtown Villa Rica.