An historic warehouse in St. George?s that was devastated by fire early this year is set to be partially demolished with as many wood beams, posts, doors and fittings being saved for a hoped-for reconstruction of the building.

And it has been hinted that the warehouse may rise again from the ashes of the night-time blaze that caused damage worth an estimated $1 million on April 24.

Godet and Young?s two-storey warehouse, which has a single-storey frontage on Wellington Street, has listed status and was built sometime in the middle of the 1800s as a warehouse for McCallan & Wainwright.

It continues to be known historically as ?McCallan?s Warehouse? and is also reputed to have been the location where the Canard Steamship Line was formed.

The warehouse has hardly been altered since its construction around 150 years ago apart from the building of a wooden section on the harbour side of the building, the lower section of which was saved from total destruction in the blaze by the efforts of the St. George Fire Service and Bermuda Fire Service.

Before the roof was destroyed by flames it was an example of enclosed eaves with protruding rafter feet ?typical of a St. George?s building.?

Nelson Bascome, chairman of the Historic Buildings Advisory Committee, said the committee had no objection to the demolition of the structure as proposed by the planning application.

?We recommend that in any future development and design the applicant be mindful of this property?s siting close to the historic town of St. George Preservation Area.

?The design of any future development should evoke the architecture of the present building,? he said in a letter that accompanies the planning application.

What has been proposed by the agent TJ Bowers Architect, is to put up an eight-foot high fence around the building to safeguard the public and to remove fire-damaged structure on the southern side.

It is intended to cut the north side of the building down to street level and the east and west sides down to four feet, remove all the timber walls, floors and beams and cut out portions of the stone wall on the south side.

All undamaged flooring, beams and posts, warehouse doors and hardware retrieved from the building will, where possible, be reused in any restoration work.

Although the current planning application is only for the demolition of the fire-damaged building and the putting up of a security fence, Terry Bowers, of TJ Bowers Architect, said it was intended the north wall will be rebuild to match the existing wall.

Godet and Young?s hardware business, which is situated further down the road from the warehouse, was able to continue in business despite the loss of the warehouse and its stock.

Owners Robert (Bobby) Oatley and his wife Verna received offers of help from the people of St. George?s and Hamilton in the immediate aftermath of the fire.