Ben and Erin Napier are rallying around their friends after a fire sent their plans to open up a new hotel in downtown Laurel, Mississippi up in flames.
The Heirloom hotel that the HGTV stars and their best friends Mallorie and Jim Rasberry and Emily and Josh Nowell renovated was just on the verge of opening its doors to guests when a fire broke out August 26.
That renovation was all caught on film for what was to be Ben and Erin’s newest HGTV series, “Home Town: Inn This Together.”
While the future of the series remains undecided, the future of the hotel seems to be bright.
A new video posted on the Heirloom’s Instagram page shows Josh Nowell at an old manual typewriter, tapping out keys. A view of the page reveals the words appearing key stroke by key stroke on a piece of Heirloom stationery. “We built with sweat, hope & such love- through many trials” he types.
The video switches to scenes of the hotel under construction under the watchful eyes of its owners.
When the typewriter reappears, Jim types, “And then it was gone… in a moment.”
The video then switches to scenes of the fire, with smoke billowing out the windows and obscuring the Heirloom sign on the top of the building. Another shot shows the roof in flames.
The scene then switches to the aftermath, with water dripping onto the carefully curated displays inside the hotel.
Heirloom Owners Aren’t Giving Up
The scenes of devastation then turn to hope, as Jim Nowell, who is Erin Napier’s first cousin, sits at the typewriter pondering. He begins to type again.
“So what will we do now?,” he types.
“the only thing we can do,” Jim Nowell continues to type with renewed determined. “KEEP BUILDING” he types in all caps. He pulls out the paper and walks away with it in his hands as the scene switches to the Heirloom in the sunshine, with blue skies behind it.
The video ends with another typed page on Heirloom stationery. It reads, “Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; Establish for us the work of our hands— Establish the work of our hands”
Under the video, a Gospel infused song sings “Glory, glory, I’ve seen You on the throne. I’ve seen the grass wither, I’ve seen the flowers fade, but Your Word it stands forever, through all my days. I’m trying hard to find it through the fire and the flames. Just to hear of a whisper, oh a taste of Your grace. Glory, glory, I see You on the throne. Glory, hallelujah, Your love will overcome.”
Erin & Ben & Friends Have Fought for Laurel for Decades
This isn’t the first time Erin and Ben Napier and their close friends have fought to revive downtown Laurel.
According to Southern Living, in 2008, a full eight years before HGTV came calling, the “Home Town” stars and their friends decided to take action after seeing their beloved hometown fall into disrepair, with a downtown area that was largely abandoned.
“When we all came home from college—Mallorie and Jim Rasberry, Emily and Josh Nowell, Ben, and me—we were the only people who lived downtown,” Erin told Southern Living. “It was just us and the feral cats. For the six of us, all in our twenties, it was like a game: How can we make downtown Laurel feel alive again?”
The group founded Laurel Main Street. “We all did what we could,” Erin said. “Josh had done some real estate development. He had a bird’s-eye view. Ben and I were the storytellers. I would take photos of a corner downtown that people might overlook. I kept a journal online, and I mocked up some murals in Photoshop. We put some lights in the trees and had these potluck parties and invited our friends from Hattiesburg. We were just like, ‘Yeah, Laurel’s a cool place—you didn’t know?’ “
Erin Napier Asks For Prayers for Her Cousin & Friends
In an Instagram post right after the fire, Erin Napier was already expressing hope for the future.
She wrote, “Today feels like a funeral. But I know these people. They won’t give up here. I don’t know what will happen next or if you’ll ever get to see this @hgtv show now. I don’t know much of anything. Pray for my friends and family, please. It is hard to explain how this reverberates through our town and its progress in many ways. But I know God has a plan for this setback. He always knows the way, even when we don’t.”
And other HGTV stars were quick to jump in to offer help in the post’s comments, with Sarah Baeumler writing, “So sorry 😢 Sending thoughts and prayers to you and @theheirloom.us ♥️ We can rebuild – together – as one @hgtv family.”
And Brian Kleinschmidt offering, “What can Mika and I do to help? 🙏”
1 thought on “Erin & Ben Napier & Friends Promise to ‘Keep Building’ After Devastating Fire”