04/17/2024
Prayers for Paul, please . . .
A personal post...
On Monday, April 15th, my 87-year-old father-in-law's business burned to the ground in a freak fire. It was his life's work. It was a lumber mill and 100+ year old sugar house that was steeped with family history and memories. Thankfully he made it out in one piece.
This is a piece that Dave wrote for his father to be printed in the local newspaper:
"A Special Kind of Sorrow
Paul Hartshorn lost a huge part of his legacy on Monday morning, April 15th, when his 100+ year old sawmill and sugar house burnt to the ground in a horrific fire. When he turned on the engine to begin work, a spark jumped out and caught the sawdust on fire. Despite trying to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher, it ignited quickly. Thankfully he got out in one piece and nobody else was hurt. Firefighters and trucks from Moretown, Warren and Waitsfield were there in minutes. They worked all day to put the flames and embers out.
The pain and anguish of losing something in minutes that you’ve devoted a large part of your life to may be a sorrow incomprehensible to those who have not experienced the sacrifice, commitment, love and lifetime of work for a business that you created. His business felt like a member of the family. He had recently updated the lumber mill equipment, and some of the maple sugaring equipment and tools that we still use were stored in the old sugar house.
Countless homes and businesses in the Valley were benefactors of the sawmill, and thousands of gallons of maple syrup were made in the sugar house part of it. Homegrown businesses that create products from the land in the Valley are special and unique.
The mill is gone but it was much more than a mill. What has come out of the burning embers is an outpouring of help and generosity from many people.
First and foremost, we want to recognize Paul’s brotherhood, his fellow firefighters. They were by his side to contain this fire and also extend their friendship and support.
In the days ahead, people are going to come out in support in a multitude of ways.
That’s what we do in this Valley. So much more than lumber and syrup will be this building’s legacy.
There will be something that will rise from this tragedy—that will be extraordinary—that he can again be proud of.
-Dave Hartshorn"
And Dave's daughter, Caitlyn also wrote a beautiful post on Facebook. This is what she said:
Please send prayers to my grandfather Paul Hartshorn and family. His mill and attached sugarhouse that he built himself burnt to the ground this morning. It was his life's work. What's more is that he built his mill to be closer to my grandmother when she was sick and still at 87 years old he worked more hours in a day than many of us work in a week. The sugarhouse was a very sentimental place for him and our family and one of the oldest still standing in Vermont. Growing up we all helped can maple syrup there but he and my Dad continued to slave away running it for decades upon decades. The saw for his mill was an antique that he and his brother found in the woods and rebuilt. He lives down the road from where the mill and sugarhouse was, so having to see it burnt to the ground every day is unimaginable. He is a volunteer firefighter for the Waitsfield/Fayston fire department and has dedicated over 60+ years saving others' lives and people's homes and businesses from fires so this all feels incredibly cruel to have happen to him. THANK GOD he got out uninjured physically, we all are very grateful for that but the mental/emotional toll is unfathomable. His work has been his life. I know that the family, friends, fire departments and community he has served for so long will help him through this but he could certainly use all the prayers in the world right now. Thank you. ❤"
