Historic Pennsylvania Home Destroyed by Fire

Nov. 21--ANNVILLE -- A two-alarm fire destroyed a historic home in the 100 block of West Main Street early Saturday morning.

Fire crews responded to 112 W. Main St. at 5:34 a.m. for a reported dwelling fire with entrapment. When the first crews arrived, they found flames coming out of the first-floor windows, Annville Union Hose Fire Chief Paul Longenecker said.

"There was fire throughout the first floor with no extension to other buildings," he said.

A second alarm was called in at 5:50 a.m. for additional manpower, Longenecker said. A fire marshal was called to confirm the cause of the fire, which was brought under control about 6:30 a.m. No injuries were reported.

No further information on the cause of the blaze was available Saturday night.

As they fought the flames, crews searched the home but did not find anyone inside, Longenecker said. Despite their efforts, the home could not be saved.

"It was pretty much a total loss of the house," said Longenecker, whose initial damage estimate was $200,000.

A sign of above the home reads "Hershey's Quilt Shop," and another reads "Susan Biever House Built 1876."

"It's an older house with collections of stuff, and that's your problem with fighting this type of fire," Longenecker said. "There are small pathways."

The owner of the structure, Victor Hershey, in his 80s, was interviewed by the Daily News

in early 2009 as he planned to sell it. He and his wife, Rosalin, bought the house in 1997 and opened Hershey's Quilt Shop that same year. Rosalin ran the shop until her death in February 2007. After that, Hershey sold off most of the inventory and closed up shop in October 2008.

"Jacob Biever (Susan's husband) had bought this plot here with the idea of building a house for them, but he died in 1865, so naturally, there was no house built," Hershey said at the time.

Nine years after Jacob Biever's death, a house was erected, Hershey added. Before that, the site was a sheep pasture.

Route 422 was closed for several hours between Route 934 and King Street.

In addition to Union Hose, crews from Cleona, Neversink, Palmyra Citizens,

Bellegrove Community, Jonestown Perseverance, Campbelltown Volunteer, Ono, Union Water Works, Hebron Hose and Hershey Volunteer fire companies responded. First Aid and Safety Patrol and Annville ambulances assisted along with several county fire police units.

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