Fire that destroyed historic inn not suspicious

A fire that destroyed a historic New Jersey inn this week is not considered suspicious, though officials have not determined the cause of the four-alarm blaze.

The Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office said the Monday blaze at the Sergeantsville Inn in Delaware Township - one of two inn fires this week, about 13 miles apart - started in a waiter's station near the bar at about 1:50 a.m.

The massive blaze spread quickly and ravaged much of the structure, which dates back to the early 1700s, when it was a private residence in the small town then known as Skunktown, and is now an upscale restaurant.

Prosecutors said the cause of the fire remains undetermined, though investigators have concluded it wasn't suspicious.

The inn's website says the restaurant there opened in the early 1900s.

Before that, it housed a grocery store, ice cream parlor and grain and feed store.

A Facebook page and GoFundMe site have been set up in the days after the fire to raise awareness and money for rebuilding efforts.

"The Sergeantsville Inn is so much more than an historic building at the crossroads of our little community," says the GoFundMe page, set up by a group called Save the Sergeantsville Inn. "The Inn is an icon; it is an institution; it is our family."

The funds raised will go toward helping families affected by the fire and help rebuild the structure.

The Hunterdon County site was one of two centuries-old inns in the greater region to sustain heavy fire damage this week.

On Tuesday night, the Indian Rock Inn in Upper Black Eddy, Bucks County, was seriously damaged by a blaze.

The Allentown Morning Call reported that crews encountered heavy flames on the first floor, where a dining room wall and ceiling were damaged. At least 10 dining room windows were smashed so firefighters could battle the blaze and vent smoke.

The inn's website said Friday morning that the business remained closed due to the fire.

The country inn dates back to 1812 and has six guest rooms in addition to the restaurant, according to VisitPA, the state's tourism website.

s in addition to the restaurant, according to VisitPA, the state's tourism website.