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Man who allegedly set fire at historic Austin building said he was Taylor Swift: Affidavit

A 36-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the fire, Austin Fire said.

AUSTIN -- A man is in custody after a fire was reportedly intentionally set at a historic downtown Austin building, the Austin Fire Department said.

The AFD said the fire broke out on the third floor of the Austin Club located at 110 East Ninth Street Monday morning. The building's alarm went off at 4:30 a.m., the AFD told KVUE.

"After seeing 5 to 6 fire trucks parked and hoses filled, my heart sank because this building is irreplaceable," Austin Club General Manager Ken Richardson told KVUE. "Thank God the sprinkler system did what it was supposed to do. I'm very pleased at the amount of damage, if you can say that."

The small fire was controlled by the building's sprinkler system, AFD said. Fire officials said a substantial amount of water damage resulted from the sprinkler system. Officials estimate that more than $100,000 worth of damage resulted from the fire.

Credit: KVUE
The building, which dates back to 1878, is a historic landmark used for special events.

AFD said the fire was intentionally set and that Austin police have arrested Matthew James Caldwell, a 36-year-old man.

Police said Caldwell intentionally set a curtain on fire on the third floor and also set a tablecloth on fire on the first floor.

According to an affidavit for his arrest, when Caldwell saw police, he ran away carrying bottles of wine that belonged to the club.

Police officers were able to arrest him after a chase and found several match books from the club in his pocket, police said. Caldwell allegedly told police he didn't know what was going on and denied being in the Austin club. Caldwell then allegedly told police, "My name is Taylor Swift, I told him to burn it down and he did what I told him."

Caldwell is charged with second-degree arson and his bond is set at $50,000.

The building dates back to 1878.

"They've already started the demo," said Richardson.

While the fire damage is minimal, Richardson said damage from the water is a bit more extensive.

"There's a lot of work ahead of us over the next couple of weeks," said Richardson.

Credit: APD
Matthew James Caldwell.

The Austin Club a historic landmark used for special events such as political fundraisers, meet and greets and election night watch parties.

“Every day during the political season there’s one or two events going on here," said Richardson.

Tuesday's event for Kevin Lopez, a District 30 senate candidate, will be moved to the second floor. It was originally scheduled for the third floor, where the fire started.

"I met with our catering director this afternoon, we talked about where we can move the various functions. So we feel very comfortable, we're just going to have to direct them in the right direction," said Richardson.

The now members-only club was once the historic Millet Opera house built in the late 1800s. But it's also widely known for the stage it plays in the political world, even once serving as the state capitol for a legislative session.

"Many people have told me when I first came to the club that this is the political club of Texas," said Richardson.

A few blocks away from the Texas State Capitol, it's a meeting place for lobbyists and lawmakers.

"On the back of Austin Club napkins would be amendments," said Richardson.

"There are probably a few deals that go on at the Austin Club," said Harvey Kronberg, the publisher and CEO for the Quorum Report -- Texas' oldest insider political publication.

He's one of the few journalists who have a membership to the Austin Club.

"Kind of having a neutral meeting ground where everybody is capable of having a civil conversation with each other, even if they've just been fighting tooth and nail sabotaging each other's bills during the course of a legislative session, is pretty irreplaceable," said Kronberg.

"It's been a house to both parties," added Richardson.

A house that political movers and shakers will continue to call home.

According to Richardson, they will likely have crews still working on the building for another month or so, but still said they don't have to cancel any events.

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