3 Juveniles Charged In Mill Race Inn Arson Fire In Northampton

NORTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP, PA — Three juveniles are facing charges in connection with an arson fire last month at the shuttered Mill Race Inn in the Holland section of the township.

Police Chief Steven LeCompte tells Patch that the juveniles - two 14-year-olds and one 15-year-old - have been petitioned to juvenile court on third-degree felony arson charges.

Due to the active nature of the investigation, the township's fire marshal has not yet released the cause of the fire.

Fire broke out Sunday morning, March 15, at the building, which has been vacant since the remnants of Hurricane Floyd damaged the building in 1999.

When crews arrived, they found smoke and fire coming from the rear of the building.

Photos from the scene showed firefighters hitting the rear of the building with streams of water, and smoke billowing above the once-popular banquet and wedding venue.

The Northampton Township Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Lower Southampton Fire Company, the Feasterville Fire Company, and Newtown Fire Rescue. Lingohocken and Warminster covered Northampton stations during the call.

The Mill Race Inn was scheduled to be partially restored under a redevelopment plan approved by the township in 2025.

The plans call for the construction of a 33-unit age restricted 55-and-older residential condominium complex overlooking Mill Creek. The plan also envisioned preservation of a portion of the Mill Race, transforming 2,000 square feet of the building into office space at the entrance to the development.

It was not immediately known how the fire would impact the redevelopment plans approved by the township.

The approved development plan for the Mill Race Inn site. Two new buildings are slated to be built (colored in brown) that would house 33 age-restricted units).

The Mill Race Inn before the fire. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

The Mill Race Inn has been shuttered since 1999 when the remnants of Hurricane Floyd caused significant damage to the building. It sustained additional damage in 2001 when a dam broke on Mill Creek as a result of torrential rain. Since then, the once-popular restaurant and event venue has deteriorated and become an eyesore in the heart of Holland.

In 2013, the board of supervisors took action to address the decaying property, declaring the building as blighted under the Pennsylvania Urban Redevelopment Law and engaging the Redevelopment Authority of Bucks County to find a new use for the site.

The then owners of the property challenged the condemnation in Bucks County Court of Common Pleas in 2015, arguing that the RDA did not follow proper procedures when it proceeded with its condemnation of the property.

The court, after hearing arguments from both sides, rejected the objections made by the owners, allowing the condemnation to move forward.

The owners appealed the decision to the Commonwealth Court, which upheld the lower court ruling, again finding in favor of the RDA.

In February 2017, the RDA put the property up for sale, encouraging developers and private investors to come forward with development proposals that would preserve the historic nature of the building.

After being shuttered for a quarter of a century, much of the now dilapidated mill will be torn down as part of plans to redevelop the property with a 33 unit age restricted 55 and over condominium complex overlooking Buck Creek.

Plans call for the construction of two new four-story residential condominium buildings that will overlook Buck Creek. The plan will also preserve a portion of the Mill Race, transforming 2,000 square feet of the building into office space at the entrance to the development.