Stevens House goes up in flames for third time
MINNEAPOLIS -- A house in Minneapolis went up in flames early Saturday morning for the third time in just over a month.
The Stevens House in Minnehaha Regional Park is known for being the first wood-frame home in Minneapolis.
Recently, it's been known for catching fire. The Minneapolis Fire Department says the latest blaze started just after 3:30 a.m. and they found a "heavy fire" on the back corner of the building.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board says there was extensive exterior and interior fire damage to the building. No one was injured.
Sue Nielsen and Colleen Grant paused their bike ride through the park Monday to look at the damaged house.
"We're just so disappointed," Nielsen said. "There's so much history here."
Known as the birthplace of Minneapolis, the Stevens House was a hub of social and civic activity in the mid-1800s.
The Park Board wants to save the House, keeping it preserved and also secure.
"This is a really disappointing scenario and I'm sad to have to be talking about it actually, because it's really frustrating and sad," said Annie Olson, MPRB's Director of Visitor Services. "We're working on continuing to put in measures to protect the house, whether it be fencing or lighting. We're working through those pieces right now."
The first fire was on Aug. 30, and the building caught on fire again on Sept. 20. The first two fires are also under investigation.
MPRB says they've been working to catalogue and relocate items in the house. After the first fires, MPRB worked with a historic architect and structural engineer, who determined that the house could be rebuilt. But after Saturday's fire, they will need to do a reassessment.
After the first fire, a 6-foot-tall perimeter fence was installed. MPRB says they're working to buy more permanent fencing.
