Cushing Studio Fire

Date: January 10, 1996

Location: 83 West Jersey Hill Road, Ithaca

The fire destroyed the woodworking studio of Mark Cushing, a bagpipe maker. It is assumed the fire started from hot coals in the studio's wood stove.The studio contained saws, power tools, and 1,000 feet of stacked lumber. The greatest loss was over 20 years of Cushing’s books on bagpipe measurements, research, and development ideas. Luckily, the Cushings' home, which sat only a few hundred feet away from the barn, remained undamaged.

Pipe Major Mark Cushing is a bagpipe performer, teacher and maker whose bagpipes have been sold across North America. He is known for leading the Syracuse Scottish Pipe Band, coaching bands in NY and PA and playing in local taverns. In 2008, he founded the Finger Lakes Pipes and Drums ensemble in Ithaca.

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