Crime & Safety

Lightning Strike Damages Historic Kenmore Inn

A lightning strike during overnight thunderstorms is being blamed for damage to the Kenmore Inn.

At 2:08 a.m. Thursday, City of Fredericksburg Fire Department units were dispatched to 1200 Princess Anne St.  Personnel arriving on the scene discovered that an apparent lightning strike had caused significant damage to the chimney on the right side of the structure, Deputy Fire Chief Mike Jones said.

"Most of the damage was done to the top ten feet of the chimney, but bricks and mortar were found on the ground around the chimney," Jones said.  "The fire alarm system in the building was also affected and did not operate properly," he said.

The Fire Department did a thorough check of the structure and found no signs of fire, smoke or any other damage to the structure, Jones said.  The Inn was allowed to continue to operate with a fire watch in place until alarm system repairs can be made. 

A representative from the Fredericksburg Building Department will conduct a damage assessment on the structure during the day Thursday.

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The Kenmore Inn, built circa 1793, is a bed and breakfast, pub and restaurant in the historic district of Fredericksburg.

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