Salem house blaze probed

By D.A. WILKINSON

wilkinson@vindy.com

SALEM

A Charles Burchfield painting now will be used to show the home across the street from the artist’s childhood residence.

Dick Wootten, who has been the director and president of the Burchfield Homestead Society, said Friday that the artist had painted the house at 850 E. Fourth St. at least four times.

The 110-year-old frame house burned down Thursday afternoon. The vacant house was owned by Courtney Realty.

Salem Fire Department Capt. Shawn Mesler said the state fire marshal’s office, Columbia Gas and the Public Utilities Commission are investigating.

The cause has not been determined, but as firefighters approached the house, “There was definitely an explosion,” Mesler said. “At this point, we don’t know why.”

The explosion blew part of the walls and roof apart. Firefighters did not want to be under the falling house, Mesler said. They instead prevented the fire from spreading to nearby homes.

The structure valued at $64,600 was a total loss.

Wootten had named the house the “pyramid house” for the four-sided structure at the top. It eased reference to visitors during tours.

Wootten said that Mr. Rummel, whose first name isn’t known, and his small daughter, Esther, lived across the street years ago when Burchfield was a child.

The young girl and the young Burchfield played hide and seek. Rummel was a painter, Wootten said, and possibly the first Burchfield ever knew, according to Wootten.

Burchfield’s work recently has been praised at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. The new Burchfield Penny Art Center in Buffalo, N.Y., which has much of Burchfield’s work, also been lauded by critics.