Fire Damages Nearly 200-Year-Old Family Business in Ogunquit, Maine

On Saturday morning, a fire heavily damaged a family's antique store that had been in business in Ogunquit for nearly two centuries.

Flames broke out at Hutchins' Antiques, Etc on Route 1 (Main Street) around 8 a.m., sending black smoke into the air before turning white as firefighters got a handle on the fire. Route 1 was closed in both directions between School Street and Shore Road until around 12:30 p.m.

"We have no words right now.... we are so heartbroken. Everyone is safe," the store wrote on its Facebook page.

Ogunquit Fire Chief Russell Osgood told Seacoast Current that nine fire companies responded to the fire. Firefighters were still on scene looking for hot spots at around 4:30 p.m.

The damage was "pretty bad" with a partial collapse of the roof, according to Osgood.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the fire marshal, but it appears to be accidental.

No firefighters were injured.

The business was established as a blacksmith shop in 1840 by Theodore Hutchins and his son Joseph Erving who ran the shop for 80 years, according to the store's Facebook page. Besides making shoes and nails, they also did iron work on locally built boats.

Erving's son Russell Perkins built a garage in the back of the blacksmith shop, which became a Chevrolet dealership. It stayed in business until consolidation by the automaker closed it in 1990. The business also delivered fuel oil and firewood, and picked up summer visitors and their trunks at the train station in Wells.

The family later created the Blacksmith Mall in the former dealership space, a multi-dealer antique shop with over 60 dealers.

Photos courtesy Robert Nettles Photography

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH