The Murderkill River has claimed a Bowers Beach icon.

Frenchie's Bait & Tackle, a fishing shack with peeling red paint that stood on the river next to the Coast Guard station, slid into the water Monday evening.

It now sits partially submerged in the Murderkill, its front end still resting on the shore. The back end rested on several pilings, which appear to have given out.

Firefighters rushed to the scene about 6:45 p.m., according to a Facebook post. First responders and Delmarva Power worked to get the power shut off and to contain any hazardous materials, such as oil, according to the post by the Bowers Beach Maritime Museum.

There were no reports of injuries. It's unclear if anyone was in the building when it collapsed. The town's fire chief did not immediately return calls for comment.

Frenchie's was a popular spot for pictures and watching the sunrise, according to local residents. Passersby stopped to survey the damage Tuesday morning, some saying they saw the collapse coming, all saying it was sad to lose a local landmark.

Recent storms over the past few years and the waves from boats passing in and out of the Murderkill River to the Delaware Bay may have compromised the pilings supporting the waterfront business, some speculated.

Lifelong Bowers Beach resident Doris Morris said she remembered Frenchie's as a hub for local morning gatherings when the quiet Bayshore town once bustled with fishing and boating activity.

“It’s so sad seeing it gone now,” she said, standing in the sand near the yellow caution tape wrapped around the sagging building. “It’s a landmark and it’s sad.”

Fishing equipment, such as large, black crab traps, surrounded the red building.

William “Frenchie” Poulin, the building's owner, has been a commercial fisherman in Bowers since the 1970s. He has also served as the town's mayor and on the city council. On Tuesday, he did not immediately return calls for comment.

A Rhode Island native, Poulin moved to Bowers after leaving the Dover Air Force Base.

"I thought I would get my own business 'cause fishing was real good then," he once told The News Journal.

The tackle shop/seafood store has been hit by tragedy before, according to The News Journal's archives. It burned down in December 1990.

But Poulin's delivery truck and nets survived. He rebuilt and kept fishing.

Inez Sunshine, who raised her kids in Wilmington, said the family bought a townhouse in Bowers Beach to go fishing during the summer.

“It was a darling little, charming town that was untouched by the 20th century," she said.

Frenchie's just contributed to the charm. One of her friends fell in love with the fishing shack during a visit and made an oil painting of the building, which Sunshine has to this day, she said.

“We use to go out fishing all the time, so we got to know a lot of fishers at Bowers Beach," Sunshine said. "Frenchie was mayor at the time."

This is a developing story. Do you have stories, pictures or fond memories of Frenchie's? Call Jessica Bies at (302) 324-2881 or email jbies@delawareonline.com.