TYLER, Texas — One day after fire tore through a historic home in downtown Tyler, efforts are underway to save it and why the home is so important to the Rose City.
“Historic Tyler has a long standing history of appreciating this structure," said Ashley Washmon, executive director of Historic Tyler, Inc.
The structure was home to its namesake Mr. Thomas Brown Ramey, an established businessman and jeweler in Tyler. Officials got the call around 5 p.m. Saturday about a fire at the Ramey House. Witnesses were shocked at the amount of smoke that had appeared from this fire.
"We started to see a lot of smoke coming out of the window upstairs. The fire was out of control and started spreading pretty rapidly," said witness Joseph Molina. "It was coming out of the window and part of the roof already."
What’s left of this home was seen as a beacon of Tyler’s architectural history.
"People pass it everyday and it's just been so beautifully preserved and it’s just a notable home just pointing to the rich history, architectural history, we have here in Tyler," said Washmon.
Part of that history is now burned and left in ashes as crews try to save as much history as they can.
"The thing about historic houses is that when they’re lost due to demolition, neglect or fire, is that they’re irreplaceable. The materials that were used back then you can’t get now -- the craftmanship," said Washmon.
The Ramey home has three historic designations listed to it like the National Register of Historic Places. It’s also a Texas Historic Landmark and a City of Tyler historic landmark, which is rare for a property in Tyler to have all three titles.
Officials said the cause of this fire is still under investigation and no injuries were reported.