New London Museum And Cenotaph
Forest Trail Region
Learn why there is an odor in natural gas.
The London Museum located just minutes from Henderson chronicles the town’s history and the tragedy of the worst school explosion in history. The explosion killed 311 students, teachers, and visitors on March 18, 1937. The blast, fueled by a leak of then odorless natural gas and probably ignited by an electrical spark, occurred only moments before the dismissal bell.
The London Museum is dedicated to all those who died March 17, 1937 and those who survived. This cenotaph made of Texas pink granite, it was designed by Donald S. Nelson, architect, Herring Coe, Sculptor. It was erected in 1939. Engraved on the stones facing the cenotaph are the names of the known victims by school grade.
