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1836 U.S. Patent Office fire

1836 fires1836 in Washington, D.C.1836 in law1836 in the United StatesBuilding fires in the United States
December 1836 eventsDisasters in Washington, D.C.Fires in Washington, D.C.History of patent lawLegal history of the United StatesUse mdy dates from July 2021
Blodget's Hotel, built 1793
Blodget's Hotel, built 1793

The 1836 U.S. Patent Office fire was the first of two major fires the U.S. Patent Office has had in its history. It occurred in Blodget's Hotel building, Washington on December 15, 1836. An initial investigation considered the possibility of arson due to suspected corruption in the Post Office, which shared the same building, but it was later ruled out. The cause was ultimately determined to be accidental. The fire is considered to be a unique point in the historical events of the Patent Office that caused policy changes. Local fire suppression efforts were incapable of preventing the damage due to lack of fire personnel and proper equipment. Many patent documents and models from the preceding three decades were irretrievably lost. As a result of the fire, Congress and the newly legally revamped Patent Office changed the way it handled its record keeping, assigning numbers to patents and requiring multiple copies of supporting documentation.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article 1836 U.S. Patent Office fire (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

1836 U.S. Patent Office fire
F Street Northwest, Washington

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N 38.896944444444 ° E -77.0225 °
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Tariff Commission Building

F Street Northwest
20004 Washington
District of Columbia, United States
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Blodget's Hotel, built 1793
Blodget's Hotel, built 1793
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