HOPKINTON – A fire that destroyed the Slusser Senior Center has been ruled arson. On Monday, Jan. 15, firefighters were called to the scene to find the building shell in flames. On Wednesday, Jan. 17, Hopkinton Deputy Fire Chief John Pianka confirmed arson-detecting dogs found evidence of a petroleum-based product, which is believed to have ignited the fire.

View video of fire.

Resident Vernon Miller was watching TV shortly after 10:30 p.m. Monday, when he heard the sound of an explosion. Shortly after, he heard the fire siren from the Pine Street station, and then a fire engine turn into Houston Fields across the road from his home. He walked outside where he saw bright orange flames emanating from the building site of the Slusser Senior Center.

“Basically, I grabbed the video camera and headed outside and, at that point, the building was in full blaze. The flames were pretty impressive, unfortunately,” said Miller. “It was really tragic because you can replace the wood, but (the town and seniors) had made a lot of headway on that building with the good weather, and now it’s all gone. It’s just a bunch of burning wood until you think about how many people that fire affected.”

“It could have been the roof collapsing,” said Mike Stark, of the New Hampshire Fire Marshal’s office, referring to the loud noise residents heard. “At that time of night any loud noise would sound like an explosion.”

When firefighters arrived shortly after 11 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15, the structure was fully engulfed in flames, and across the side of a nearby trailer were the words “Not on my tax $,” spray painted in red.

The two-alarm fire took about three hours to put out, said Pianka.

Even during a preliminary investigation, the Hopkinton Fire Department and Stark suspected the blaze was intentionally set.

Selectman Don Lane said the graffiti found at the scene was the first clue it was arson.

“I’m not an expert, but I know that sign wasn’t there before,” he said. “I think it’s a very hateful thing to do, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take a step back and then move forward,” Lane said. “It’s certainly a funny way to vote.”

Selectmen Chairman Louise Carr said whoever burned the building down is misinformed.

“I don’t know how we can change the process. We’re trying to be as open in this process as absolutely possible,” she said. “No tax money has gone into that structure at all. Yes, there will be some operating costs, but we’ve established an endowment to pay for that.”

Moreover, Lane said operating costs will be minor and most likely less than what the town is currently paying to operate Columbia Hall.

“If you think about the fact that the other way to build a million dollar building is through a bond by the taxpayers, it would take us 30 years for the cost of this building to approach this amazing gift,” said Lane, of the $1 million donation from residents Eugene and Anne Slusser to build the senior center.

“It’s very discouraging. It’s not what I think of Hopkinton,” Carr said.

Though the structure is destroyed, the foundation is still in place and Eugene Slusser is taking an optimistic approach.

“It doesn’t bother me at all because we’re going to rebuild and still be in business, so it’s just a little setback in time, that’s all,” he said.

The senior center was preparing for a May opening and it is too soon to set a new date, but the insurance companies have been contacted and preparations are being made to rebuild, Lane said.

According to Robert Mattes, the town’s recreation director and coordinator of senior activities, his department will not skip a beat.

“It means that we don’t move into the new senior center in May and that we still run our programs through (Columbia Hall). It’s really not going to affect us at all,” said Mattes. “We’re still going to have fun. We’re just not going to do it in the Slusser Center as soon as we expected.”

Still, Mattes sees a silver lining. “It’s unfortunate, but I think this is a strong town and we can make it through this, no problem,” said Mattes. “I hope the town rallies together and supports the seniors here because they deserve this center and they deserve to get it back, even more so now than before. It was a great thing, so let’s continue that and not give up on the seniors.”

Hopkinton currently has roughly 1,800 senior citizens and Lane said an anticipated 39 percent of the town’ population, or approximately 2,400 people, will be over 60 years of age by 2010.

Lane said the town has already decided to organize a fund to help rebuild the center, though no further information was available at press time. Carr is encouraging anyone with information to contact the proper authorities.

“If anyone has seen anything suspicious, a strange car or anything out of the ordinary, no matter how trivial it may seem, please call the police or the New Hampshire Crimeline,” she said.

Those with information can call Hopkinton Police at 746- 5151 or the Concord Regional Crimeline at 226-3100.

“The message will be delivered by the police,” said Lane.