Old Fayetteville Hotel Burns

On July 6, 1980 at 4:47 a.m. the Franklin County communications center dispatched a 7 box to 18 East Main Street Fayetteville for a building fire. Firefighters arrived the find the four story frame and masonry building already heavily involved in flames. The building was pre-Civil war and once used as the Presbyterian seminary and a field hospital during the Civil War. It later became a hotel until the township went dry during prohibition, it was later turned into an apartment building but had been vacant for about the last 25 years. An easterly wind was blowing embers towards occupied buildings so the first lines were used to protect exposures. Firefighters laid five different supply lines, three from hydrants and two to the Conococheague Creek to battle the blaze. The fire was ruled arson by PSP fire marshal Gary Carter, just one of a long string of arson fires to plaque the area in 1980 and the second historic building in the Fayetteville area (Graeffenberg Inn) to be destroyed by arson. Damages were estimated at $10,000. Approximately 75 firefighters had the fire under control in 45 minutes and remained on the scene over four hours. The Fayetteville, New Franklin, Mont Alto, Franklin and West End Fire and Rescue companies answered the alarm.