CRAWFORD — Lowndes County volunteer firefighters battled an early Tuesday morning blaze in Crawford but were unable to save The Horseman Club, a local juke joint and popular night spot in the small town.
A property damage estimate was not available, but the structure was “a total loss,” said District 4 firefighter Larry Caldwell, who responded to the scene.
Flames engulfed the brick building around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, and by the time firefighters arrived, the structure was “fully involved, with flames coming from the top of the building,” Caldwell said.
An empty section of the building and a storage room were saved, but the largest part of the building — the nightclub — was destroyed, Caldwell said. The cause of the fire is undetermined.
Two tankers and a water truck responded to the scene. Firefighters dodged falling bricks as they attempted to keep the fire contained and protect nearby businesses.
Caldwell said due to the size of the building and the extensiveness of the fire, it took several hours to completely extinguish the flames but no other buildings were damaged.
Caldwell has served on Crawford’s Board of Aldermen for the past six years. He said the club was one of the oldest buildings in the downtown area.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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