Local News

5-alarm fire tears through historic Northbridge mansion

The 43-room Oakhurst Manor, now home to an artists' collective, was severely damaged in the overnight fire—but all its residents escaped safely.

The 43-room Oakhurst Manor was damaged Thursday night in a fire. Matt Gregoire

March 1, 2024

2 minutes to read

A 5-alarm fire ripped through a historic Gilded Age mansion in the Northbridge village of Whitinsville overnight Thursday, according to the Grafton Fire Department.

The massive fire tore through the roof of the 43-room mansion, causing it to collapse. The manor was built in 1890 and is now home to an artists’ collective, Estate of Mind. All the residents escaped without injury, and investigators don’t believe the cause of the fire to be suspicious.

Northbridge Fire Chief David White said firefighters responded to the mansion at 120 Hill St. soon after the fire started around 1 a.m. and witnessed flames shooting out of the roof. Firefighters discovered a heavy fire on the second and third floors of the building.

The 43-room Oakhurst Manor was damaged Thursday night in a fire. *Courtesy/Matt Gregoire*

“Early this morning Northbridge Fire requested our assistance with a 5-alarm fire at the Whitinsville Lasell [Oakhurst] Manor,” the Grafton Fire Department wrote on Facebook. “When crews arrived fire had broke through the roof and immediately turned into a defensive operation. Engine 1 and Tower 1 responded to the scene. At this time there were no injuries reported. The State Fire Marshals office and the District 7 investigating team was called in.”

The fire was considered under control by 5:45 a.m.

“These buildings are old and very hard to put out. We went to a defensive attack quickly,” White told NBC Boston. “It’s a historic building, as you can tell. It’s one of the old mansions in town. It does have a little value there.”

About seven Estate of Mind residents lived at the manor at the time of the fire. Victoria Dobbs, the collective’s co-owner and community manager, said in a Facebook post that they were “relieved to report that all residents [and] guests who were inside the manor exited safely and there are no known injuries at the time of posting.” Dobbs said anyone wishing to donate to support the organization can do so online.

White said the displaced residents are staying in another structure on the property. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation, but fire officials are focusing on accidental causes.