Story Published:
Sep 5, 2008 at 6:16 PM EST
Story Updated:
Sep 7, 2008 at 6:01 PM EST
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. - Firefighters battled flames at The Palmetto House at Seven Gables on Georgia Avenue for hours Thursday night.
That fire was still smoldering Friday night.
The Seven Gables Inn has been a North Augusta landmark for more than 100 years.
NBC Augusta spoke with owner, Robin Dunn on Friday.
She said she's still in shock and it's too early for her to make any type of decision about rebuilding.
Most people in North Augusta said they'll miss seeing something that's been so familiar to them.
Originally the inn served as a hunting lodge for the Hampton Terrace Hotel.
"It was built in 1903 and you think about the skill that it took to build something like that in that time frame," said Dunn.
VIP's like the Rockefellers and President Howard Taft were frequent visitors.
In March 2007, Dunn bought the inn and renamed it the Palmetto House at Seven Gables.
People say she prided herself on making it look authentic as the original inn.
“It was like going back in time. It gave you a real peaceful, quiet feeling and you just got away from the world for a little bit when you go in there," said Julie Faglier, a citizen of North Augusta.
But what was one of the most historical buildings in North Augusta's history turned to ashes Thursday night.
"Initially when we got here the fire was so intense and so great you initially think it's not happening here, it's what you see in a movie," said Dunn.
It took more than eighty firefighters from six different counties to battle flames that were hundreds of feet high.
Captain Charles Williams with the North Augusta Fire Department said because there's nothing left of the building, the cause of the fire may never be known.
The loss is not only devastating for the owner, but also the city of North Augusta.
"I'm very interested in history so I take it personally because it's something you really can't duplicate," said historian Jeanne McDaniel.
"People have told me that this is irreplaceable so this place cannot be duplicated or replaced," said Dunn.
Although investigators said they may never know what caused this fire, they tell NBC Augusta that the old wood and varnish that was used over the years to maintain the building could have accelerated the flames.
Investigators do not suspect arson at this time.
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