Centre Daily Times from State College, Pennsylvania • 9

Local wwwcenrrtiailycom Centre Daily Times Thursday July 15 2004 At COT photoMichelle KMn Smoka rises from tho Bellefonte Academy at 1247 pm Wednesday Fire destroys as flraflghten try to put out the blaze Bellefonte Academy Reactions a national landmark and I particularly feel bad because my father went to school there at a loss for words ready to cry" Karen Seagren owner of The Barnard House Bed and Break-East of Bellefonte Tm absolutely devastated I know the firefighters have said this is something that could have happened a long time ago and it appears the day is here It was one of the cornerstones of our community it has a long history it produced a lot of important people in Pennsylvania This is one of the saddest days for Bellefonte" Candace Daimako former Bellefonte mayor gonna take a lot of housing out itls losing an architectural gem The gentleman who bought it just put a lot of money into it and now going to be without it going to be a big piece of the skyline gone" Joseph lleidt Jr president of Bellefonte Borough Council really feel bad for those families just horrible I was leaving for lunch and saw a little bit of smoke and when I came back the flames were over the Lindsay Woodring clerk at the Bellefonte Intervalley Chamber of Commerce devastated too just a dam shame You have to feel sorry for all the people What are we going to do with them? a historic landmark" Stanley Goldman Bellefonte mayor Flic continued fmmAl By midafternoon most of the north side of the building was no longer standing and the south end was a gutted shell The graceful columns that stood in front of the building were blackened Plaster had burned off to expose the brick walls of die front of the building which was constructed around 1805 It wasn't until about 7 pm that the fire was declared under control Fire Marshal Terry Miller said he heard residents say the blaze was caused by children playing with lighters but been able to go in the building by late afternoon and couldn't say if that information was correct Traffic snarled around downtown Bellefonte as police closed Willowbank and Water streets and diverted motorists away from the area of the fire A temporary shelter for people displaced by the fire was set up in the Bellefonte Elementary School on Allegheny Street By late afternoon about 20 families were there and the Red Cross was working to find temporary housing for them and to determine their other needs could be the largest fire we've worked with in some time said Virginia Brown executive director of the Centre Communities Chapter of the American Red Cross not every day we work with large numbers like Among the crowd that had gathered by noon to watch firefighters battle the flames was George Mincer maintenance worker at the apartment complex who said he'd walked into a hallway more than an hour earlier to find thick smoke pulled the fire alarnj because I got up in the hallway and I couldn't he said was busy getting everyone in Firefighters try to put out the flames at the Bellefonte Academy on Wednesday afternoon the building Tenant Flora McCloskey watched firefighters break the windows out of the top floor of the stately white building noon Thick black smoke started to pour out of the empty window frames She lifted her eyes to the sky on please get this she said let it spread to the other COT photoMichelle Klein He said his parents renovated one or two apartments at a time with his mother sweeping and painting and his father hanging drywall They were gratified to see the tenants begin to take pride in the building just wanted to completely renovate it and turn it into something positive in he said was so run down He just saw the opportunity to turn something ugly into something nice" Erin Nisslry can be reached at 231-4616 Staff writers Nichole Dobo Cisela Garcia and Mike Joseph contributed to this report Adams' apartment when the fire broke out She didn't know what had become of them The Rev James Nolten pastor of Park Forest Baptist Church in Patton Township and his wife Susan purchased the Academy building from Jerald and Madeline Tanney for $475000 in March 2003 according to county records Nolten is in the midst of a three-week missionary trip to Liberia and Kenya and his son Josh said Wednesday they had not been able to reach him yet Josh Nolten said his parents did their own work to renovate old buildings in Lancaster and Huntingdon and wanted to do the same with the recent purchase flee blaze ing the loss of their pets and their apartment Donna Adams lost a picture of herself when she was 3 years old she said Oh she leaned over fo her husband our wedding He whispered to her "I know hon" while leaning over to embrace her have no money to go on right he said have no way to go out and start up a new place" Staff writer Nichole Dobo contributed to this report She and other tenants and onlookers were soon moved back about a block to the parking lot at the intersection of Spring and Bishop streets by Bellefonte police The crowd swelled and as flames licked through the roof and sent a wave of heat down the sidewalk officers moved the crowd back another block and set up yellow police tape to keep people from getting too close People were in tears as they watched the fire tear through the building lost everything we sobbed Donna Adams who lived in the building on and off for 12 years A family member said there were several pets in Residents Tenants continued mm At so often as he is still taking in the situation This is like a nightmare I can't get out ot" he said just want to go home but I Guiser was planning on pro-poring to his girlfriend Hope Klatzbaugh The couple has two sons one 15 years old and one 6 months old He had a diamond ring in the apartment that is almost surely lost he said Mingling in the school Donna and Mark Adams are still griev Red Cross By GMa Baida ggarciaOc efitrodaitycom The Centre Communities Chapter of the American Red Cross set up an emergency riielter Wednesday at Belle-fonte Elementary School By late afternoon the shelter was housing about 20 families and Red Cross officials said the number of people seeking shel COT photoMIchtfle KMn Firefighters work to contain a Maze at Bellefonte Academy on Wednesday The Are destroyed the historic building sets up shelter at elementary school priate for whatever job they have" The chapter will also help with prescriptions and simple furniture needs The Red Cross chapter can be reached by calling 237-3162 Gisda Garcia can be reached at 231-4618 Staff writer Joe Carey contributed to this report Virginia Brown said the Red Cross would work to fill other needs as well also be working with (victims) to help cope with their disaster financial needs by disbursing orders or she said provide food vouchers for grocery stores and restaurants We can pretty much get clothing dial's appro ter could be as high as 60 or 70 About 30 volunteers and Red Cross employees were working to find the families temporary kidging If lodging could not be found in motels cots would be available at the school said Bob Barry director of emergency services for the Red Cross Chajtter Executive Director COT photo MkIMIs KMn Jody Lottery of Beflefonte gives donated water to Alpha Fko Chaplain Monslgnor PMIIp Saylor near tho Bettefonto Academy lire Wednesday.