Fire burns through a historic West Warwick building

By Ana Bottary

abottary@abc6.com

@anabottary

More than 200 year old wooden beams charred after a fire late Sunday night at this three story West Warwick building. It is part of the Lippit mill- a textile mill that manufactured fabric starting back in the 1800’s. The cause is unknown at this time, but the West Warwick Fire Marshall says after a fire broke out here back in January it was left unsecure.
 
"Since the last fire there were some broken windows, this and that. It would be easy for people to get in here if they wanted to," says West Warwick Fire Marshall Jim Bobola.
 
Unlike the last fire, this one has left detrimental damage.

"We walked with the building official, and it looks like that may be the way it is going to go. There is so much damage it may have to be torn down,” Bobola adds.

Rhode island Historians say the loss of the building would be a shame. Saying, it has a lot of historical significance, being built in the early 1800’s. Virginia Hesse of the, Rhode Island preservation commission says the building was originally used as the mills office, or a business center for the mill. Men who worked in the Lippit Mill just next door, would stop by here at the end of each week to collect their wages. She says the Lippit Mill, which remained in operation until the 1970’s and the buildings surrounding it are not only a historical focal point for the town, but nationally.

"It was the oldest operating wood textile mill in the country," says Hesse.

She says keeping these buildings surrounding the mill intact is important. It helps people today, understand how these mills worked, and their positive impact on the economy.

"Every building has meaning. To someone and this has meaning to the complex as a whole and its historical integrity," she adds.

If you have any information you’re asked to call the State Fire Marshals office or the West Warwick Fire Marshals office.

(c)WLNE-TV 2016