PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A devastating house fire in Olde Towne Portsmouth early Tuesday morning claimed one life and destroyed a home that had stood for more than a century.
According to Portsmouth Fire Department officials, crews responded to the fire at a historic residence on Court Street. One person was found dead inside.
Authorities have not released the identity of the victim or the cause of the fire at this time.
The house, known locally as the Maupin home, had been owned by the same family since at least 1902.
Gregory Eatroff, curator of the History and Genealogy Room at the Portsmouth Public Library, confirmed that historical records list Gabrielle Bielenstein and Florence Maupin as residents in the early 1990s.
“The Maupin family has been on that property since about the turn of the last century,” Eatroff said. “Their continuity in the city shows a kind of rootedness that’s becoming increasingly rare in the U.S.”
Eatroff said the family’s legacy in Portsmouth extends back as far as 1812.
Members of the Maupin family were physicians and community leaders who helped treat residents during the city’s deadly yellow fever epidemic of 1855. Some also worked in the railroad industry, contributing to Portsmouth’s development as a transportation hub.
“The Maupins were a very prominent family,” Eatroff said. “Their home was not just architecturally unique but a symbol of a bygone era. The loss is both historical and personal.”
The house itself was known for its Gothic architecture, a rare style in the Olde Towne area, and its signature side garden, which helped it stand out in the historic district.
Neighbors expressed shock and sadness over the loss.
“It’s devastating,” one resident told News 3. “We live two doors down. This house was part of our community’s identity.”
The fire remains under investigation by the Portsmouth Fire Department.
