Lone building on former Continental Inn site catches fire

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The only building still standing on the site of the former Continental Inn in Lexington caught fire Thursday night just before 10:30 p.m.

Firefighters quickly put the fire out. Investigators say there were mattresses in the building, suggesting that perhaps homeless people were staying there, but they say no one was in the building at the time of the fire.

The former 319-room hotel near the intersection of New Circle and Winchester roads, closed in 2005 after 40-years in business. Since its closing, most of the buildings on the property have been torn down.

The Continental Inn was the site of some eccentric conventions, a high-profile kidnapping and more than one unusual death. It was visited by the likes of Ronald Reagan, Lee Majors and Jerry Reed, to name a few.

The cause of Thursday night’s fire is under investigation.