(Seguin) – Investigation continues into the fire that ripped through the attic of the historic Mosheim Mansion located on North Austin Street near the Texas Theater. The approximately 120-year-old Victorian style home, most recently known as the Olivia Mansion Bed & Breakfast, caught on fire at around 1:30 p.m. Friday.
Fire damage was contained to the attic; however, the entire structure is said to have suffered extensive water damage.
Ladder tricks from New Braunfels Fire Department, Cibolo Fire Department, San Marcos Fire Department, McQueeney Fire Department, and the Geronimo Fire Department assisted the Seguin Fire Department with extinguishing the blaze.
The official cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Seguin Fire Chief Dale Skinner says he applauds the efforts of his fire department and its handling of the fire on such a tragic day for its family.
“The firefighters of Seguin are among the best that I’ve ever worked with and as proven by their efforts, we were suffering the loss of one of our own and then we had the structure there at the Mosheim Mansion which is a very large old building and they were able to get that fire under control with speed and efficiency. That is just an example of the resilience that these guys have that even in their moment of suffering, they did their jobs and did it well. I’m very proud of the men and women of our organization,” said Skinner.
The mansion apparently was vacant at the time of the fire. It had been operating as a bed and breakfast up until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, at which time it was put on the market for sale.
The historic structure, over the years, has served as a bed and breakfast and as a private residence. Historical records suggest that the mansion is one of the first homes in Seguin to have both electricity and indoor plumbing.
The historical home is located at 409 N. Austin St.
Photo by Nick Spence