A fire broke out at The Wayside Inn in Ellicott City on Saturday after a lightning strike during a severe storm. The incident, which occurred around 3:30 p.m., resulted in significant fire and water damage to the inn's lobby and several guest rooms.
Joe Xu, the innkeeper, indicated that the historic 246-year-old structure, located on Columbia Road near the intersection of U.S. Route 29 and state Route 100, will remain closed for at least a month as repairs are undertaken.
Originally built in 1780, The Wayside Inn has a storied past, with local legends suggesting that notable figures such as George Washington and John Quincy Adams once stayed there. The inn has operated as a bed and breakfast since 1999 and features six guest rooms following an addition in 2003.
The Howard County Fire Department reported that the lightning strike appears to have damaged a stainless steel gas line, which sparked the fire. Firefighters managed to contain the blaze by 5 p.m., but the building was deemed unsafe for entry until a thorough safety inspection can be conducted.
According to Samantha Stanton, a spokesperson for the Fire Department, all utilities, including water and power, have been turned off by the county fire marshal. Xu is currently awaiting an insurance adjuster to evaluate the extent of the damage.
The fire caused interior damage to the lobby, ground-floor guest rooms, and the basement, where an air conditioning unit was also destroyed. Xu's general contractor is prepared to begin repairs as soon as they receive the necessary approval.
Xu, who took over the inn in 2018, expressed his frustration over the damage, stating, “I have never seen this before, this [level of] fire damage. Very unlucky. I’m hoping that we can reopen in a month.”
Reported by HarborBeat based on The Baltimore Banner (source).
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