The Merced Fire Department is investigating a large fire that erupted Monday morning at the old Merced County library building.
Located near M and 22nd streets and within walking distance of the Merced Police Department and county administration building, the structure has been abondoned for years. It previously housed Merced County’s first high school and was built at the end of the 19th Century.
Firefighters responded to the scene after the blaze was discovered around 6:30 a.m. Fire crews quickly responded and managed to contain the flames, according to a news release from the City of Merced.
No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation and a dollar amount for the damage, which is said to be significant, has yet to be determined.
Built in 1897, the three-story, 13,182-square-foot building was a high school until 1920, when the institution moved to a larger facility on G Street, the release said.
The library took over the building in 1921 and remodeled it. The library relocated in 1976 after outgrowing the space.
There have been some efforts over the years to renovate the vacant building over the years. Still, none came to fruition, leaving the structure to remain a boarded-up piece of local history.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.