The fire has been ruled accidental, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Thursday, February 7
The four-alarm fire that burned through a century-old estate in Shrewsbury on Monday was caused by fireplace ashes that had been "improperly disposed," according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. The fire, which was ruled accidental, originated in a hall closet on the first floor where still-burning ashes cleaned from a fireplace had been placed, according to Charles Webster, spokesman for the prosecutor's office. Shrewsbury Fire Department Chief Peter Gibson said that the call came in around 1:15 p.m. on Feb. 4 for a fire at 469 Sycamore Ave. When firefighters arrived, "There was heavy fire showing on the first floor," he said. The cause of the fire was investigated by the prosecutor's office in conjunction with the county fire …
The nearby Shrewsbury estate on Sycamore Avenue that succumbed to a four-alarm fire on Monday served as a summer cottage for wealthy Wall Streeters in the early 20th century.
The fire that ripped through the historic estate on Sycamore Avenue in Shrewsbury on Monday, destroying what villagers a century ago called “The Castle,” was not the first blaze to cause damage to the property. One hundred years ago a large barn on what was then known as "Thornbrooke" was destroyed by fire, which consumed two automobiles, 50 tons of hay and "a lot of garden tools,” according to archives stored at the borough’s Historical Society. An account of the September 11, 1913 blaze, found written in long hand on a few sheets of loose leaf paper in the historical society's files, detailed how servants discovered the fire and phoned a man who lived next door to the firehouse to ring the alarm. In the interim, a Red Bank Register …
Pamela Brown ♥
6:12 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
A great example of selflessness, in their time of loss they look for donations to the local fire department! Many blessings on your family~ more ›