Shock and sadness in Northbridge after fire devastates historic Oakhurst Manor

NORTHBRIDGE — Lisa Pepin appeared stunned. She stood near the heavily damaged Oakhurst Manor, smoking a cigarette and wondering what her next move will be.

"I lost everything," said Pepin, who lived in the manor since December. The historic property at 120 Hill St. was hit by a five-alarm fire overnight, with flames breaking through the roof as firefighters from several communities converged on the scene.

The blaze, reported about 1 a.m. Friday, heavily damaged the upper floors of the sprawling building. There were no reported injuries, and the cause is under investigation. Seven people were in the building when the fire broke out, according to the Fire Department.

Fire officials, who put damage at $500,000, said the wood-framed mansion contributed to the fast-moving fire.

Building owner Clarence Risher, a software engineer, was at the scene early Friday. His Facebook page includes Google in his work history. He declined to comment on the fire.

It's the second setback for Pepin in the past year. Her longtime boyfriend, Nicholas Perrone, a chef at Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Marketplace in Worcester, died in December 2022, a year before Pepin moved into the manor.

"I was heading to bed when the fire started," said Pepin. "I was restarting my life (after Perrone's death), and this happens. I've lost everything twice."

John Hendrikse grew up in Northbridge and owns a home next to the manor. "This is a real shame," said Hendrikse on Friday morning as he surveyed the damage from his driveway. He noticed the fire at 12:45 a.m., woke up his wife, ran outside and watched as fire trucks doused the manor with water.

"Obviously, it's not salvageable," said Hendrikse, noting his three children slept through the ordeal and is thankful the winds didn't shift to send the flames over to his property.

'Most magnificent mansion that's ever been built in town'

Surveying the damage as cars slowly rolled past on Hill Street to get a glimpse of the wreckage, Ken Warchol spoke of the manor's historical significance. Warchol is chairman of the Northbridge Historical Commission, an organization he's been a part of for 45 years.

"It saddens me," said Warchol, adding, "It's the most magnificent mansion that's ever been built in town."

Warchol noted the Whitin family's connection to the manor and the growth of the textile industry in Northbridge. Paul Whitin built the first textile mill in town in 1809. His son, John C. Whitin, had a patent on the cotton picker, and in 1870 Whitin Machine Works was founded. By the 1920s, Warchol said, it was the largest textile operation in the world, with 5,000 workers.

John Whitin's grandson, Chester Lasell, whose last name is on a wooden sign outside the manor, built the home in 1890, according to Warchol. His sadness is tied to a home that represents the town's textile heyday and the wealth of the Whitin family.

Charles Thompson approached as Warchol delved into history. He's lived in town all his life, 72 years, and "sad" is how he described his emotions. Thompson is retired and ran the George Marson Whitin Community Center on Main Street in Northbridge for 33 years. He mentioned many groups occupied the manor through the years, including the Episcopal Church and weekly fellowships held by the Perkins School for the Blind.

"I don't know how they going to save (the manor)," said Thompson as he looked at the charred property.

Former treatment center for troubled priests

An artist group, Estate of Mind, occupied the property at the time of the fire. It issued an online statement: "We are relieved to report that all residents & guests who were inside the manor exited safely and there are no known injuries at the time of posting."

The organization, which runs what it describes as a community focused on the arts, is the latest of a series of owners and tenants of the 89-room estate.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston owned the property from 1973 to 1990, then passed it on to the Catholic Diocese of Worcester, which used the mansion for its House of Affirmation, a facility for troubled priests, and later converted it into the Oakhurst Retreat and Conference Center.

The Diocese of Worcester and businessman James M. Knott Sr. were onetime owners. The mansion was used as a retreat center. In 2019, the property was sold to Risher, who said he planned a co-living space.

The property is listed on Zillow as being for sale by owner, with a price tag of $2.5 million.

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This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Fire hits Oakhurst Manor in Northbridge; property dates to 1890