A massive fire caused extensive damage at the historic, 43-room Oakhurst Manor in Northbridge, Massachusetts, overnight.
According to the Grafton Fire Department, they responded to assist with the large fire at 120 Hill St. early Friday morning. When they arrived they said flames were already shooting from the roof of the mansion and the battle quickly turned into a defensive operation. Smoke continued to billow out from the roof as of 5 a.m.
The fire started at 1:04 a.m., Northbridge Fire Chief David White said. When firefighters arrived he said they found heavy fire in the second and third floors of the building.
"These buildings are old and very hard to put out. We went to a defensive attack quickly," he said.
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At one point, White said the roof of the building collapsed.
The fire was declared under control around 5:45 a.m., but firefighters were still continuing to douse hot spots.
"It's a historic building, as you can tell," White said. "It's one of the old mansions in town. It does have a little value there."
No injuries were reported, White said. The extent of the damage is not yet known but he said he doesn't think the building will be a total loss.
About seven residents were believed to have been living in the building, White said, and all of them got out safely and are staying in another structure on the back side of the property as they await next steps.
Photos shared by the Grafton Fire Department showed a huge fire response, with numerous ladder trucks surrounding the building and flames and heavy smoke coming from the roof.
The mansion, also known as the Whitin Lasell Estate, is located in Whitinsville, a village within the town of Northbridge. It was built in 1890.
According to the Worcester Telegram, the 20,000-square-foot mansion sold in 2021 for $1.35 million. The property was once operated by the Catholic Archdiocese as the Oakhurst Retreat, but now serves as Estate of Mind, an event center that allows artists to showcase their talents and work on their crafts. Several events planned at the facility on Friday have been canceled, according an updated posted to their website.
"Due to a fire early this morning at Oakhurst Manor, all events on Friday March 1st are cancelled," Estate of Mind owner Victoria Dobbs said in the update.
"We are relieved to report that all residents & guests who were inside the manor exited safely and there are no known injuries at the time of posting," she said. "The cause of the fire and scope of the damage remain to be determined."
Dobbs assured anyone with upcoming visits or events scheduled that they will be reaching out with information on next steps and additional details as soon as they have time.
