STANDISH – Richville Chapel, a structure that has stood for more than two centuries near the border of Standish and Sebago along Route 114, lay in ruins Thursday afternoon after fire thoroughly gutted the historic structure.

According to the State Fire Marshal’s Office, two teenage boys, ages 14 and 15, were arrested several hours after the fire based on eyewitness reports of the boys being nearby the church at the time the fire started.

The boys’ names have not been released.

Standish Fire-Rescue responded to the scene at 1:20 p.m. and had the fire extinguished by 2:30 p.m. Since the building was fully engaged upon firefighters’ arrival, Standish Chief Brent Libby said emergency crews from six area towns battled the blaze from outside.

By the time the firefight was over, the roof of the church had caved in and the charred studs that had formed the walls of the small church had collapsed outward onto the ground. All that remained of the small church located in a pine grove was the front door and a wooden handicapped access ramp. The ground surrounding the building was also charred.

Libby said manpower was limited since the fire took place during the day when most on-call firefighters from Standish and the other responding departments were at work. Mutual aid was provided by Gorham, Windham, Buxton, Limington, Sebago and Baldwin, Libby reported.

No one was inside the church at the time of the fire. A small seasonal congregation worships at the church, Libby said.

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