5 Arrested in Historic Pennsylvania Inn Arson

May 20, 2009
Five people were arrested and two others are being sought in connection with an arson that destroyed a historic inn in Perry County.

WATTS TOWNSHIP, Pa. --

Five people were arrested and two others are being sought in connection with an arson that destroyed a historic inn in Perry County.

The blaze started at about 2:30 a.m. at the 181-year-old Amity Hall Inn in Watts Township near Duncannon. The blaze started on the second floor of the building, Duncannon Fire Chief Byron Worner said.

"When we got here, there was heavy fire coming out of every window on the second floor," he said. "We didn't attempt to send anybody inside. We put water in through the windows -- No use risking anybody's life for a vacant building like this."

Police believe the men came to the Inn after reading about it online.

They broke through a fence, setting off an alarm, state police said.

When troopers arrived, the men were caught running from the building.

The men face felony charges of burglary and arson, state police said.

Two others may be involved in the arson, state police said.

The inn was built in the 1828 and closed about 20 years ago.

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