Fourteen of the principal business houses of Hardinsburg, county seat of Breckinridge County, were destroyed by fire on May 14, 1913. The flames started in a bakery at 4:00 a.m. and spread rapidly, consuming all the houses on one side of Main Street for one block and lapping over the street and burning several houses. The Hardinsburg Bank & Trust Company building was destroyed. The entire east side of Main Street, for one entire block, was destroyed, including several residences on Louisville Street. A conservative estimate of the loss was $185,000, partly covered by insurance. The principal business firms which suffered were B. F. Beard & Company, dry goods, who carried a stock of $20,000, party insured; James Gardner & Son, dry goods, partly insured; Kincheloe Drug Company, two stores, partly insured; Spellman's Hardware Store, partly insured; J. W. Guthrie, confectioner, partly insured; J. H. Lennon, general merchanidse, partly insured; J. P. Haswel, Sr., general merchandise, partly insured; and the Masonic Temple building, where in the basement the fire originated. Several smaller shops were destroyed, which carried little, if any, insurance. The Hardinsburg Bank & Trust Company probably carried sufficient insurance on their building to cover the loss. On account of dry weather and practically no fire-fighting facilities, the town looked doomed at one time, but with the untiring efforts of several bucket brigades the flames were finally subdued. A notable fight saved the Farmers Bank & Trust Company and the new Methodist Church.