The first great fire in Amherst swept through the center of town in February 1838. Out of the ashes was built a new commercial block with the appropriate name: Phoenix Row. The building, located at 4-16 Main Street, survived another fire in 1872, which started in the outbuildings to its rear. It soon underwent renovations that significantly altered its appearance, most notably with the addition of a new flat Italianate style roof with decorative brackets and gable. Phoenix Row has survived other fires in 1883 and 1989 and continues as a business block today.