New York Piano Key MFG. Co. Fire( corner of Railroad Ave. and Grove Street) One of the most spectacular fires in Middletown's history occurred on the evening of April 26, 1911 when Hagenuefer's six Story factory building was destroyed at a loss of $150,000. There were no serious injuries. Built as a hat factory in the 1850's and enlarged several times, the building had housed several businesses until it was purchased in 1901 by Charles Hagen and John Ruefer. At the time of the fire , prospects for the business had seemed bright, and the owners were considering enlarging. About 70 people lost their jobs to the fire. Additionally, several houses were ignited by the fire and six families were left homeless. Some people became hysterical when it was thought thr fire would sweep the city. The exact cause was never determinded. The large photo shows a falling building section the day after the fire, the smaller photo shows how the building looked before the fire, and the third photo was taken by Charles A. Ketcham during the fire.