The Times West Virginian - Farmhouse burns again

Mon, Sep 08 2008

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Published: July 26, 2008 02:47 am

Farmhouse burns again

Fire consumes house near anniversary of 2007 blaze

By Bill Byrd
Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT — Heavily-damaged a year ago in a suspicious fire, an abandoned farmhouse on a dirt lane on the outskirts of Fairmont again went up in flames early Friday morning.

Two chimneys — one brick and one brick-and-stone-faced — and small, charred remnants of the first- and second-floors of the old Conley house on Naomi Street Extended were all that survived the latest fire.

“It’s suspicious in nature,” said Fairmont Fire Chief Roger Wilson. The house has been vacant and without utilities for a number of years, he said.

City firefighters were notified at 2:40 a.m. Wilson said he had heard from a city police officer that a resident in Chesapeake saw a glow on a heavily-wooded ridge line north of Bellview and then reported the fire.

The house stands nearly a half-mile on a dirt lane from the end of Naomi Street. The late Rollo J. Conley, a Fairmont lawyer at the turn of the last century, is believed to have built the house.

A history buff, Wilson said he saw a cornerstone dated 1897 in the foundation.

The July 23, 2007, fire consumed most of the second floor.

As they did last summer, the lack of hydrants forced city firefighters to call for tankers from the Barrackville and Rivesville volunteer fire departments.

No one was injured fighting the blaze, Chief Wilson said.

E-mail Bill Byrd at bbyrd@timeswv.com.

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.

Photos

Wisps of smoke were still rising Friday afternoon from the old Conley farmhouse just north of Bellview on a heavily-wooded ridge. Abandoned for a number of years, the home is believed to have been built in 1897. A suspicious fire almost a year ago to the day destroyed much of the home; a similar fire early Friday morning finished the destruction. City firefighters fought the blaze with help from volunteer firefighters from Barrackville and Rivesville. PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER/Times West Virginian (Click for larger image)

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