Scoop: Carpenters' Hall arson investigation stuck
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The arsonist who set Carpenters' Hall ablaze on Christmas Eve last year used archival documents and records stored in the basement as kindling to light the fire, Axios Philly has learned.
Why it matters: Investigators still haven't found out who desecrated the iconic Philly building that hosted the First Continental Congress in 1774, and which attracts more than 150,000 visitors a year. Carpenters' Hall remains encircled by a chain-link fence as construction continues ahead of the July 3 reopening.
Driving the news: But the perpetrator used the 20th-century archival material to fire up multiple ignition points, Carpenters' Hall executive director Michael Norris tells Axios.
- They accessed the hall after shearing through the padlocked Bilco doors of the basement, Norris says, citing details learned from investigators.
- The arsonist wasn't captured on surveillance footage and didn't steal anything from the building, including leftover cases of alcohol.
State of play: Without a big break in the case, it's "probably gonna be pretty tough" to solve, ATF spokesperson Alan Gilmore tells Axios, saying that the agency doesn't currently have any suspects.
- Investigators are still awaiting results from a crime-lab analysis of physical evidence, but Gilmore declined to say what was being tested.
What they're saying: The fire is a "real puzzler," per arson investigator and criminal profiler Ed Nordskog, because it doesn't suggest the usual reasons someone would target one of America's historical treasures.
- Most arsons are "pretty obvious," involving people trying to cover up fraud or embezzlement or to collect insurance money, or directing anger at someone associated with the building, Nordskog says.
- Attacks on historic buildings are even rarer, but usually involve groups who'd more than likely claim responsibility or leave a "calling card" at the crime scene, Nordskog tells us.
Zoom in: Norris tells Axios he spoke with the ATF about the possibility of the fire being started by a disgruntled employee or someone else with access to the building.
Yes, but: No one seemed to match that description, and months later, ATF tells Axios it's working off limited evidence.
- No witnesses saw anyone coming or leaving the building the night of the fire.
The latest: Carpenters' Hall is installing cameras, Norris says. A $3 million restoration project is wrapping up, although parts of the building still bear scars of the fire.
The bottom line: Norris says he's heartened by the outpouring of support for Carpenters' Hall, which is sometimes treated as the "little second cousin" to Independence Hall.
- "We may never find out who did it, and that's life," Norris says. "But we can fix what allowed it to happen."