Fire Destroys Football Legend's Home In New Haven

NEW HAVEN, CT — A fire ripped through a historic three-story Victorian home at 1303 Chapel St. Christmas morning, The New Haven Register reported. The home, which formerly belonged to football legend Walter Camp, was vacant but was sold last month for $1.2 million.

No injuries were reported. The fire caused the building's third story to collapse.

Camp lived in the building for about four years in the 1880s, The Hartford Courant reported. Camp was born in New Britain in 1859 and is considered the father of American football. He was the founder of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to WTNH. The home, built in 1900, had been purchased by a developer and was being renovated.

A second fire broke out at about 10:20 a.m., destroying a recycling plant at 17 Wheeler St., according to The Register. There were people in the plant at the time but it was not fully operational.

It is believed that fire started accidentally in the plant's machinery.