“Home Town: Inn This Together” documented the transformation of a historic department store in Laurel, Mississippi, into The Heirloom Hotel. But just as the project neared its opening, a fire broke out, causing significant damage to the property owned by Jim and Mallorie Rasberry, Josh and Emily Nowell, and HGTV stars Ben and Erin Napier.
Jim Rasberry & Josh Nowell Give Update About the Insurance Delay Following Heirloom Hotel Fire
During the May 30 episode of “The Heirloom” podcast, Jim Rasberry and Josh Nowell discussed the finale of “Home Town: Inn This Together,” which showed the hotel fire in the final moments of the episode.
While the plan is to rebuild, Rasberry and Nowell shared that the insurance claim process has been slow moving.
Rasberry said, “Insurance is good to have, but it’s also the process of going through that is very difficult.”
“It’s not easy,” he noted. “We do have insurance, but you know what? There’s a lot more time and energy and effort and money that goes into something than what an insurance policy would ever cover.”
He added, “But that’s neither here nor there. The point is that every day, there’s a challenge.”
They also shared some thoughts on perspective since the devastating fire. Rasberry explained, “Brick and mortar and all that stuff doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter. I mean, we’ll figure it out and we’re going to get through it. By God’s grace and will, we’ll get through it.”
“But the things that matter in life, that’s really where I need to be hyperfocused,” he added.
Many fans are wondering when The Heirloom Hotel will open, but there’s no clear date just yet.
Nowell shared, “We don’t know the future, but we know that we’ve been building in downtown Laurel for 20 years. And we’ve been doing it not for the financial gains because they are, as Jim explained earlier, very small. We do it because we believe in our place. We were born here. We live here.”
He continued, “We want to make it better. That’s what this has all been about for us. And so we don’t have an option but to keep building. That’s what we’re going to do.”
“We just know that no matter what happens, that’s kind of what we’ve been called to do in our hometown — to keep building. So that’s what we’re going to keep doing.”
Ben Napier Shares Latest Update on the Insurance Post-Fire
On June 1, Ben Napier took to Instagram to reflect on the finale of “Home Town: Inn This Together,” giving an update on the insurance delay since the fire.
“Last night’s episode was bittersweet,” he wrote in the caption. “Our friends worked so unbelievably hard, and we have never been more proud to be their friends.”
“The fire shocked everyone. It has felt like a death of a loved one in the community,” he continued. “It has been nearly a year since the fire, and our friends are STILL waiting on @libertymutual to complete the claim.”
“We don’t know what the future holds, but we know God holds us. Thanks for watching the biggest thing to happen in downtown Laurel in a long time,” the HGTV star added.
