Staff Writer
EASTON — A local landmark is no more, following a fire Friday night that destroyed the structure that once served as the Easton High School.
Photo courtesy of Debbie Smith
FIRE DESTROYS HISTORIC BUILDING — A fire Friday evening reduced the former Easton High School, located on Center Rd., to little more than a pile of ash. Firefighters from Easton, Presque Isle and Mars Hill responded to fight the blaze but were unable to save the wooden structure, which was built in 1904 and served over the years as the high school and later as an antique shop.
“We received a call at about 8:30 p.m. Oct. 30, reporting a fire on Center Rd. at the old high school. When firefighters arrived they found the structure engulfed in flames,” said Easton Fire Chief Kim White.
White said from the time firefighters arrived on scene, it took less than an hour for the fire to totally destroy the building.
“In about 30 minutes, it was gone. It was a fast-moving fire that could be seen for miles,” White said.
The age of the former school was a factor, said the chief.
“It was built at the turn of the century. The wood was so old and dry, it didn’t last long,” he said. “It was an obvious landmark that went out with a bang.”
Town records indicate the structure was built in 1904.
Once used as a schoolhouse, the building had most recently served as a secondhand shop/antique store owned by Joe Lockhart.
“Mr. Lockhart had used it for a shop and most recently was using it for storage,” said White, noting the building still had power at the time of the blaze.
White indicated the owner did have insurance on the building’s contents. He was not sure if the structure itself was insured.
“I was told the owner was partially insured for contents,” said White.
White recalled his own experience with the facility, when he was a high school student attending classes at the old school.
“I went to school there. It held a lot of memories for a lot of people. I think 1968-69 was the last school year there,” said White.
The chief credits Mother Nature’s cooperation for preventing the fire from spreading throughout the neighborhood.
“The lucky thing for neighbors was the wind was coming out of the south and the fire burned itself out. It would have traveled to neighbors’ homes, had the wind been in a different direction,” said White.
Debbie Smith lives across the road from the old school and said she was watching television when the fire broke out.
“I was watching TV and saw something flickering, like a reflection, on the screen. I looked out my window and saw the building on fire,” said Smith, who grabbed a camera to capture photos of firefighters trying to save the structure.
The Easton crew received mutual aid from the Presque Isle and Mars Hill fire departments.
“We had probably 22-23 firefighters (for Easton), with eight to 10 from both Presque Isle and Mars Hill — had over 40 in all fighting the blaze,” he said.
Despite using a large amount of water on the fire, White said there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.
“About 50,000 gallons of water were dumped on the fire but it didn’t make a difference. It was so dry, the building went in minutes,” White said.
Firefighters remained on scene for about three hours, making sure the fire was out. White said due to the extent of damage, a cause may never be known.
“The cause is undetermined. Nothing remained to allow us to investigate. There was nothing left but the foundation. It’s a total loss,” said White. “The town lost one of its oldest structures.”
No injuries were reported as the result of the blaze.
Photo courtesy of Debbie Smith
ALL THAT REMAINS of the old Easton High School is the stone foundation, following a fire Friday night that destroyed the wooden building. The structure, which was located on Center Rd., was recognized as one of the oldest buildings in Easton, having been built in 1904.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Marquis
THE EASTON HIGH SCHOOL, as it appeared in its early years. Here, students gather in front of the school for a group photo. The structure was built in 1904 and was one of Easton’s oldest buildings. Fire of an unknown origin destroyed the historic building the evening of Oct. 30.
