A 122-year-old Warm Springs house that had been converted into a popular restaurant and tourist destination has been destroyed by fire
No one was injured in the blaze that broke out early Wednesday.
Warm Springs Fire Chief Alfons Pynenburg told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer that it took more than three hours to bring the fire under control after it was reported around 1 a.m. Wednesday.
"This is a huge loss," Pynenburg said. "We have a lot of attractions in Warm Springs, but this was one of our claims to fame."
The restaurant's website states that the property was built in 1893 by Benjamin F. Bulloch, one of the founders of Bullochville, now known as Warm Springs.
The building was renovated and turned into a restaurant around 1990. Current owners Peter and Sandy Lampert purchased the property in March 2011.
Pynenburg said the cause of the fire remained unknown, but he believes it began in the kitchen area.
Warm Springs resident Rob Johnson, 46, called the restaurant a major tourist draw.
"People would come here by the busloads to visit the Little White House and they would come to the Bulloch House," he said as he surveyed the damage. "You would drive by and the parking lot would be full."
Bruce Grant, 43, said he began working in February at the restaurant renowned for its Southern cooking.
"It's heartbreaking," Grant said. "This place employed a lot of people, not just me. A lot of people have worked here a long time and depended on this place. It was like a great big family."
