Columbus officials declared Kelton House Museum and Garden on East Town Street "unsafe" after an explosion and fire at the historic site on Monday afternoon.
Tony Celebrezze, deputy director of the City of Columbus Building and Zoning Services Dept., said on Thursday that means the building is not safe to occupy, but he doesn't think it's at risk of collapsing.
"Any building is salvageable with enough money," Celebrezze said. He added that the building's future will depend on decisions that will be made by the house's owners, the insurance company and design professionals.
"Obviously the building is a significant piece of Columbus' history, and we definitely would love to see it preserved and protected," Celebrezze said.
Monday afternoon, Columbus firefighters headed to the house to investigate a gas leak. When they were about to enter the building, the carriage house in the back blew up. A neighbor reported hearing three muffled explosions.
The museum was not open and no one was in the house. No injuries were reported.
A building inspection report from Tuesday lists structural damage and water damage from firefighters trying to extinguish the blaze. The report says plaster had started to fall from the ceilings and that electrical wires were also damaged.
"The third floor stairs were covered with debris and not passible. The roof has been displaced in several places. The carriage house and connector have completely collapsed," the inspector wrote.
Celebrezze said the inspector was not able to get up to the third floor of the house. The attic caught fire after the initial explosion, and firefighters spent hours dousing the blaze.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, workers with the disaster recovery organization Servpro wheeled dollies and carried cardboard boxes in and out of the house. They pulled out furniture and other artifacts and loaded them into large box trucks.
The original part of the house was built in 1852 by Fernando Kelton and his wife, Sophia. The last family member to live there, Grace Kelton, gave the house to the Junior League of Columbus when she died.
The Junior League has operated the house as a museum since the late 1970s. Much of the furniture in the house belonged to members of the Kelton family.
The back room that exploded on Monday afternoon was a later addition, Celebrezze noted. Kelton House used the space to host weddings and other events.
Kelton House leaders have not released an official statement regarding the house's future, but said that the community has been supportive.
Organizations like the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus Historical Society, King Arts Complex and Kaleidoscope Youth Center have posted messages of support on social media.
