Fire heavily damages Fire Chief's Memorial Bandshell at Elmwood Park in Norristown

NORRISTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The Fire Chief's Memorial Bandshell at Elmwood Park in Norristown, Pennsylvania was damaged by fire early Wednesday morning.

Photos from Norristown Professional Firefighters Local 2335 show the bandshell engulfed in flames around 1:40 a.m.

"We're all pretty emotional right now," said Tony Barbato, the Captain of the Norristown Fire Department.

The building was dedicated by volunteers in 1936 to the fire chiefs and volunteer firefighters in Norristown.

Now, the building is a charred shell of what it once was.

"The fire originated in the back and is still under investigation," said Richard Lockhart, the Norristown Fire Marshal.

About an hour before the two-alarm fire, crews were called out for a fire in a trash can about 100 feet from the memorial.

The fire that damaged the building may have been started in porta-potties in the rear of the building.

While it hasn't been called arson, it is a strong possibility. Investigators still are analyzing evidence.

Engineers are looking at the structure to see if it can be salvaged or has to be torn down.

The building housed a band shell where concerts were held on Sundays throughout the summer.

There was a concert scheduled for Labor Day weekend in the bandshell. It will still go on, but in the baseball field next door.

"We're going to roll in a big old stage right on that field," said Joel Staiber, of Rotation Productions, which hosts the summer concert series. "We're going to build a sound system and we're going to host one heckuva concert this Sunday."