Man pleads guilty to arson in fire that destroyed George Rogers Clark replica cabin near Falls of the Ohio

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Clarksville man pleaded guilty to setting a fire two years ago that destroyed a replica of a historic cabin that George Rogers Clark once called home.

Jason Fosse pleaded guilty Monday to arson in the May 2021 fire near the Falls of the Ohio State Park that destroyed the replica cabin. The only thing left standing was the chimney.

"I looked out my back window and I could see the smoke coming from the Clark cabin," said Clarksville Fire Department Chief Brandon Skaggs. "We had about 15 to 16 firefighters of our own Clarksville, but we also called for mutual aid."

Fosse was arrested a day after the fire, after he was identified from surveillance images.

Image of Jason Fosse, the man Clarksville police are seeking in connection with the May 20, 2021 fire in Clarksville that destroyed a cabin at the George Rogers Clark historic site.

The cabin was Clark's home from 1803-09, according to the Falls of the Ohio website. Clark and his older brother built the home there in 1803 as a place to spend his retirement years, according to the National Parks Service.

The cabin was rebuilt in 2001 after the original was destroyed in 1854.

IMAGES | Cabin at George Rogers Clark historic site in Clarksville gutted by fire

The site was also an "integral part of the Lewis and Clark expedition story," according to the Falls of of the Ohio.

Indiana DNR said it wants to rebuild the cabin as part of a larger renovation at the Falls of the Ohio. The project is still in the planning stages.

Fosse is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 27. He faces up to 12 years in prison.

"My office will be asking the judge to send him to prison for several years and probably ask for a maximum sentence on the 12 years," said Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull. "This cases ensures the conviction, in my mind ensure that there's going to be several years executed in prison but also balances some uncertainty as to what would happen at trial."

Alan Goldstein, an interpretive naturalist at the Falls of the Ohio State Park, said the cabin was used to educated students and share the story of George Rogers Clark.

"Throughout the years, we were able to bring in staff reenactors, volunteers, both programming like Clark days and things like that," Goldstein said.

The town of Clarksville will get community input before coming up with a plan to replace the historic cabin.

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Man pleads guilty to arson in fire that destroyed George Rogers Clark replica cabin near Falls of the Ohio