IONIA, Mich. (WOOD) — Firefighters battled flames for hours overnight after a fire broke out at a historic house in Ionia.
The fire sparked around 10:45 p.m. Monday on the second story of a house in the 100 block E. Main Street near Rich Street, according to the Ionia Department of Public Safety. Eventually, the flames broke through the roof. It took firefighters more than three hours to douse them.
There were no reports of injuries but the house was heavily damaged.
It’s more than a structural loss; it’s the loss of a piece of history. The home is in the Michigan Register of Historic Places and sits in Ionia’s historic district.
“The house was always known locally as the ‘Cupola House’ because it had the cupola on top of it,” McCord continued. “A lot of the houses had a widow’s walk on the top of the houses. They could go up there and enjoy fireworks or just hang out. Most every house had a view a family gathering place, like a back porch would be today.”
24 Hour News 8 was unable to get in contact with the homeowner Tuesday. The historical society hopes they will rebuild.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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