Early-morning fire on Thanksgiving Day destroys historic Maple Grove Mill, built in mid-1700s.
By John M. Hoober Iii
Published Nov 25, 2005 15:03
Fire also destroyed two barns and several vehicles on a Colerain Township property.
In Lancaster Township, about 70 local firefighters began their Thanksgiving Day by battling 30-foot-high flames that destroyed everything but the thick stone walls of the approximate 30-foot-by-60-foot mill, which dates back to the mid-1700s.
Firefighters were called out at 2:50 a.m. Flames already were through the mill’s roof, and a stiff north wind sent hot embers flying across Columbia Avenue toward businesses, which firefighters doused with water.
“It was a defensive fire from the start,’’ said West Lancaster Fire Chief John Birkenbine, who waited 90 minutes before declaring the blaze under control.
There was no damage estimate available early today. The fire’s cause remains under investigation, but arson and/or vandalism are possibilities, according to fire officials.
Although the mill has been unoccupied for years, outsiders have been known to sneak inside the building.
“We’ve had reports that a vagrant stays in there and that kids set off fireworks at the barn. The owner continually has to come back out and secure the back door,’’ said Birkenbine.
The owner is Robert Ecklin of Ecklin Development Corp., which bought the mill from Lancaster Township in 2001 for $1. According to newspaper reports, Ecklin had hoped to renovate the mill and lease it as office space and for retail shops.
There were no injuries during the fire. Also, none of the nearby businesses had fire damage.
The intense heat destroyed most of the heavy 20-inch beams inside the empty mill, but the flames were unable to cut through the 2-foot-thick stone walls. Thus a historic plaque on the outside front wall of the barn remained intact during the fire.
But the loss is still hard to take.
“Anytime you lose that kind of building, it’s devastating,” said Rita Byrne, of the Historic Preservation Trust. “This is very sad. Hopefully, in the future we’re going to be more careful with our historic treasures.”
Firefighters from West Lancaster, Rohrerstown, Mountville, West Hempfield Township, Millersville, Lancaster Township, Susquehanna from Columbia, and Washington Boro turned out to fight the blaze.
Located along the west side of the Little Conestoga Creek in Manor Township, the mill has had many uses in the past, including as a grist mill and more recently as a bath house for the Maple Grove Swimming Pool, which closed in 1988.
Financial hardship caused the pool, mill and surrounding property to be turned over to Lancaster Township in 1993 in return for forgiveness of unpaid real estate taxes.
In Colerain Township, Quarryville Fire Company Capt. Jamie Welk said the fire at 5075 Street Road started about 2:15 p.m. in one of the barns on the property, then spread to a second nearby barn because of high winds.
“There were some pretty good gusts,” Welk said. “That’s why the fire spread to the second barn.”
Both barns were destroyed, as were several vehicles being stored in each of the structures.
The cause was still under investigation. A damage estimate wasn’t available early today.
The fire started to spread to two nearby residences, but firefighters were able to extinguish the flames.
Welk said there was minor damage to one of the homes, but the occupants didn’t have to relocate.
