Burlington man charged with burning down his historic mansion
Nov 27, 2024
A 65-year-old man has been charged with burning down his historic mansion in Burlington.Robert A. Staton was charged Wednesday in connection to the fire, which happened last week. Staton faces charges of negligent handling of burning material, as well as two counts of felony bail jumping.You can read the full criminal complaint here.If convicted of the charges, Staton faces more than 12 years in prison.There was no shortage of visitors on Kane Street in Burlington Saturday afternoon, taking in what was left of a still smoldering building.The historic Meinhardt mansion was destroyed in a fire Friday, leaving community members shocked and devastated by the loss.Its just sad you know, area neighbor Mark Leemkuil said. Its all very sad to think what was there before, and how theyre probably going to have to tear it down now. Leemkuil said he was awoken early on Friday morning by sirens as Burlington Fire worked to put out the flames.Seeing the building with major damage has been tough for people like Lynn Grieve to wrap their heads around.Watch: Fire destroys historic home in Burlington: Burlington man charged with burning down his historic mansionGrieve was born and raised in Burlington and she said just about every area native has a memory linked to the mansion.Were just all attached to it, she said. Its gorgeous you know, a beautiful, beautiful house inside and out. On Saturday they announced Staton's arrest.Basically, its a monument, Grieve said. I was just here last week, admiring the Halloween decorations they had up, and then a week later it's poof!The mansion no longer stands out for its beauty, but instead for its charred remains. The community is left only with the memories of the home's former glory. Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tipIts about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip