EMLENTON, Venango County — The remnants of the Emlenton Mill still were smoking and smoldering late Friday morning.

The 140-year-old building, which used to be a functional grist mill, was destroyed by a massive fire Thursday night into Friday.

On Friday morning, the narrow Main Street still was crowded with emergency vehicles. Firefighters periodically were putting out hot spots on the remains of the building. Ice from that water and previous snow left some of the roads and sidewalks slick.

All that was left of the mill was a facade and some old wooden beams.

David Newbury, the son of the owners, Paul and Nancy Newbury, said his parents had been working on the building for about 10 years. It re-opened to the public about five years ago.

He said the property is insured. He said his parents are not yet sure what they will do with the property.

Dan Terwilliger, who lives on College Street, could see the fire from his house, which is on top of a hill.

“I saw just a huge ball of fire,” Terwilliger said.

His father owned the mill for about 50 years from 1950 to the 1990s. It closed as a mill in 1990, and his father sold hardware and did other activities in the shop for a while after that. The mill was sold later to the Newburys.

“I feel sorry for them because they were putting a lot of money in it,” Terwilliger said.

Debe Southworth, who lives less than a block from the mill, said she was asleep when she got a call saying the mill was on fire.

“I opened up my window, looked out, and I instantly became physically ill,” Southworth said.

She said she always was concerned about fires on Main Street since most of the houses are old and wooden.

Shelley Rankin, who lives less than a block from the mill, said she could more than see the flames from her house Thursday night.

“We could actually feel them,” Rankin said.

She said she thinks that snow-covered roofs helped prevent some other houses from sustaining damage.

“I think the snow is what saved all the houses from going,” Rankin said.