Rockville Landmark Chestnut Lodge BurnsA two-alarm fire consumed the famous psychiatric hospital and …
Rockville Landmark Chestnut Lodge Burns
Fire Destroys Historic Chestnut LodgeOfficials say a historic 19th century Rockville building that …
Fire Destroys Historic Chestnut Lodge
Updated: Monday, 08 Jun 2009, 6:46 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 08 Jun 2009, 6:33 AM EDT
By BETH PARKER/ myfoxdc
ROCKVILLE, Md. - Authorities will not officially say that it is arson, but they are asking for help in trying to find out what started a fire at an empty, historic building in Rockville.
They're hoping to hear from people who may have spotted someone trying to get into the Chestnut Lodge over the weekend.
"We cannot do this without the help of the community," said Chief Richie Bowers.
Neighbors say over the years, a lot of kids have paid late-night visits to Chestnut Lodge-- sometimes on a dare to spend the night inside what used to be a sanitarium.
Last year, the developer-- Morty Levine-- gave FOX 5 an exclusive look inside the building. Cameras captured piles of old hospital gowns and shredded medical records.
It was originally built as the Woodlawn Hotel in the late 1800s. At the time, Rockville was way out the in country. Wealthy Washingtonians summered at Woodlawn.
The hotel closed in 1906. A doctor bought the place, named it Chestnut Lodge, and turned it into a sanitarium.
The fire started very early Sunday morning.
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