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Park staff report fire and smoke damage after vandalism at Cole Miller house
Summary
Parks staff told the Park Board a window at the historic Cole Miller house was smashed and set on fire; the curtain and nearby dresser burned and the building sustained smoke damage. The window is boarded and the department will seek a Servpro cleanup estimate and coordinate with the historical society.
The Park Board heard that the historic Cole Miller house suffered a vandalism incident documented by Parks staff. “The Monday after Thanksgiving, we had a fire or a vandalism of the Cole Miller house,” Speaker 2 told the board, adding that a brick was thrown through a window, the curtain and a nearby dresser burned, and the window is now boarded.
Speaker 2 said the fire mostly extinguished itself but left substantial smoke damage inside, and that the department met with the historical society to sort ownership of items stored there. The director said staff will request a bid from Servpro to assess smoke‑damage cleanup and will determine a plan to repair and restore the window.
The board discussed that there are no security cameras or Wi‑Fi at the site and noted snow on the ground with no tracks, indicating the incident occurred before the snowfall. Speaker 2 said staff check the building frequently during winter to monitor heat and building conditions.
No formal action was taken at the meeting; Speaker 2 said more information will be provided as cleanup bids and repair plans are developed.
