On 10 February 2010 at approximately 18:30 hours, the Cranston Heights Fire Company (Station-14) along with other Mutual Aid Units from New Castle County were dispatched, via the NCC 911 Center, for a "Working" Residential Fire with a Vacant-Historic Farmhouse located on Lancaster Pike. (Hitchens)

By Adam Zewe 
Posted Mar. 3, 2010 @ 12:01 am
Updated Mar 3, 2010 at 3:19 AM 

Hockessin, Del.

A fledgling move to save a historic house on the site of the oldest Catholic church in Delaware went up in flames when an arsonist's blaze burned a three-story farmhouse on Lancaster Pike.

A group of Hockessin residents, led by Hockessin Historic Society President Joe Lake, had just begun a campaign to save the building, which Lake said is one of the area's true historic treasures.

The Feb. 10 fire, which occurred during the height of a snowstorm at the uninhabited home near the intersection of Route 41 and Route 48, caused about $100,000 of damage to the building, according to Chief Deputy Fire Marshal Alan Brown.

The fire marshal’s office is conducting an investigation into the fire, which has been ruled arson, Brown said, though he declined to give further details.

Cranston Heights Fire Company responded to the blaze at about 6:30 p.m. and had the fire under control in a little over half an hour, said Chief George Lamborn, despite the thickly-falling snow that hindered equipment and caused a fire engine to get stuck. The top floor and roof were ablaze when firefighters arrived, he said.

Timeline of the Coffee Run Mission

1772 The land for the mission is purchased by Father John Lewis

1790 The first log church is built on the site, called St. Mary’s of the Assumption

1805 Father Patrick Kenny takes over the Wilmington parish

1810 Fr. Kenny is given ownership of the Coffee Run property

1812 Fr. Kenny completes the stone house

1850 A second church is built on the property, replacing the burned log church

1908 The new church is torn down

1912 The Mundy family buys the property

1959 The property is subdivided to create Westgate Farms and Coffee Run Condos

1966 The remainder of the property is operated as a dairy farm

2005 The Layton Preparatory School files a now-expired plan to build a 20,000-square-foot school on the property, though the developer pledges to save the house

2006 The property is sold to WCNJ, LLC, which is managed by Harvey Hanna & Assoc.

The farmhouse, which was built in 1812 as part of the Coffee Run Mission, is on a 16-acre property owned by WCNJ, LLC, a firm managed by commercial redevelopment company Harvey Hanna and Associates.

“Regrettably, the 12-alarm fire that occurred on February 10 at the farmhouse resulted in tremendous structural damage. The fire destroyed and gutted most of the three stories of this structure, including the roof. This building is now a safety hazard and is not economically viable for restoration. Accordingly, the building will be demolished in the near future to promptly eliminate this safety hazard,” Bill Lower, director of environmental and political affairs for Harvey Hanna, wrote in an e-mail.

Read more: http://www.hockessincommunitynews.com/article/20100303/News/303039976#ixzz3E4gqpXl7