Wilmington Professional Firefighters Local 3011 responded to a structure fire at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Mahlon Brackney House, 286 S. South St., Wilmington.

The Mahlon Brackney House has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1993. According to Shelby Boatman, director of the Clinton County Historical Society, historians believe that architect William Cleveland designed the two-story Italianate-style house in 1860. The house features a low-pitched hip roof and cupola, a small dome-shaped structure that sits on the roof as a decorative crown. Cleveland also built several other notable buildings in the area, including Franklin College (now known as Wilmington College), Main Building School, the Jefferson Hildebrant House and the John H. Hire House.

“I was heartbroken to wake up to the news of the fire on Wednesday, and to think of the potential loss, much like the Bindley Block fire in Blanchester, this could bring for not only South South Street, but Wilmington as a whole,” said Boatman.

Records on file with the Clinton County auditor show that Donald Hayes previously owned the house before his death in May 2022. His body was discovered during a welfare check on June 2, 2022, by Wilmington Police. Rice Home Builders LLC purchased the building in foreclosure through an online auction in January 2024.

The company planned to restore the house by updating the flooring, kitchen and bathrooms and fix cosmetic issues. “Aside from the large amount of clutter and trash inside, the house was in relatively good condition and the structure was solid,” said Derek Rice, owner of Rice Home Builders.

The City of Wilmington Code Enforcement Department records show that the property had been broken into multiple times since Hayes’ death and that the department had worked with Rice to board up the residence and install surveillance devices in and around the house.

When firefighters arrived, the lower entrances to the house were secured, and there was no evidence of recent forced entry.

According to reports, L-1 entered the house and pushed to the second floor, where they encountered intense heat and heavy fire conditions. Clinton-Warren Joint Fire District, along with the Blanchester and Marion fire departments, assisted in controlling the blaze and securing the scene.

Crews remained on scene for about three hours. Damage from the fire was confined to the second floor, and smoke and water damage affected much of the house. An accelerant detection dog from the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office did not detect any traces of accelerants.

The fire has changed Rice’s plans for the property from a home improvement project to a major restoration. “We now face significant damage to the upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms, and extensive smoke damage throughout the second story and cupola,” said Rice.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.