Vacant 'Art House' in Detroit Burns Down

Part of collection of empty homes decorated as part of Heidelberg Project

Art lovers are mourning the loss of another building at the Heidelberg Project in Detroit, now a pile of smoldering rubble after a fire destroyed it early today.

Heidelberg volunteer Jeff Chamberlin today stood in shock looking at scorched records still nailed to a burned piece of siding of what he called "The Record House." Fire was reported in the vacant building on Elba near Mount Elliott at 4:39 a.m. , according to the Detroit Fire Department. Firefighters on the scene deemed the blaze "suspicious," Detroit Fire Captain Charles Simms said.

"Someone torched it; there's no electrical in there," said Chamberlin, 53, of Detroit. "I called it 'The Record House.' It had records nailed all around it. They were pretty cool. Some were Rihanna. Some were Lawrence Welk. It's a shame. Just don't know why somebody would…"