Moorestown Landmark Closed Indefinitely After 2-Alarm Fire
MOORESTOWN, N.J. (CBS) -- A landmark in Moorestown is closed for the near future, after the building caught fire Tuesday evening. Fire crews spent about an hour extinguishing flames at the Moorestown Community House on East Main Street.
"The Community House is the most popular picture-taking spot in town," Moorestown resident Fran Fisher told Eyewitness News.
Residents say the building has held the town together for almost 90 years and now the Moorestown Community House is dark and damaged following the fire.
"I remember it as a kid. We swam in the pool up here. It was a library," Dottie Kanzler recalls.
The building first opened in 1926 and for almost a century residents have held everything from community meetings to weddings and anniversary parties.
Fire crews got the flames under control about an hour after it began.
"The crews did an absolute excellent job getting in there, doing a quick knockdown on the fire. We did strike a second alarm right away," Moorestown Deputy Fire Chief Chris Chesner told Eyewitness News.
Crews stayed on the scene to watch out for any flare-ups. The building is not destroyed and neighbors have confidence things will eventually be back to normal, so the Moorestown Community House can once again serve the public.
"Obviously the hopes are they can restore it to its original splendor because it is a special place," Fisher said.
A fire official told Eyewitness News they are still working to find out what started the fire and may not know until Wednesday. A Christmas tree lighting is scheduled to take place in the front yard on December 7th.
Meanwhile, the Moorestown Town Council issued a statement about the fire tonight that read, in part:
"We are deeply saddened by tonight's fire at The Moorestown Community House. Our hearts are heavy for the many non-profit organizations that call this special place their home and for all of Moorestown's residents.
We would also like to extend our deepest gratitude to the brave Moorestown volunteer firefighters who responded to the blaze, as well as to our neighboring communities whose fire departments stood with our town at our hour of need.
In the coming days, Town Council will be having conversations with The Community House to see how the Township can best assist with their restoration efforts. We encourage all residents to consider making a donation to The Moorestown Community House at www.TheCommunityHouse.com or to the OurUnity Restoration Campaign at www.OurCommunityHouse.com. We know that in the coming days, our residents will rally around our neighbors in their time of need, and rest assured that Town Council will do our part in helping The Community House on their tough road ahead."
