Another Destructive Fire at Historic NJ Mansion Under Investigation

NEWARK — A 19th-century mansion built for a New Jersey beer baron is no longer standing after a second fire in four years ripped through the building over the weekend.

The large blaze at the Kastner Mansion on Clinton Avenue broke out around 7:15 Saturday morning, according to Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé.

Video from the scene shows large orange flames tearing through the building and out from the roof as a haze of smoke filled the sky. The fire was under control by 7:32 AM with no injuries, Fragé said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation

Three-alarm fire tears through Kastner Mansion in 2019

The abandoned Kastner Mansion remains standing despite enduring its second fire in four years.

A three-alarm fire on Oct. 17, 2019, scorched the entire structure, NJ.com reported. A first-floor ceiling collapsed and nearly trapped firefighters inside.

One woman reportedly said that she and other squatters had been occupying the mansion and would use its fireplaces to keep warm. She indicated that the fire may have been intentional but did not say why.

"An idiot decided to set the damn house on fire," the woman was quoted as saying.

What is left of the Kastner Mansion?

The Kastner Mansion was first built in 1892 by Franz Kastner, a brewery owner from Germany.

But all that remains today is a pile of bricks, wood, and slate, according to a report from TAPintoNewark.

There had been plans announced in 2020 after the first fire to convert the mansion into a community center. Developers wanted to keep the historic shell but upgrade the interior, Ascendant Architecture & Interior Design said on social media.

Townsquare Media has reached out to a spokesperson for Newark for plans on next steps.