An early-morning fire destroyed a North Suffolk landmark on Wednesday.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue was notified just before 2 a.m. of flames and smoke coming from The Market, located in the 1600 block of Bridge Road, near the intersection with Eclipse Drive. Firefighters arrived on scene and began fighting the flames, but the one-story, wood frame building was quickly destroyed, according to a city press release.

The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire, and no firefighters were injured.

A regular customer said the loss of the building means a loss of history.

“This place has a lot of history behind it,” said Clara Alligood, who passed by in the aftermath of the fire. “I’ll miss it because it’s been here so long. The local people over here will miss it a lot.”

The building has been there for a long time, Alligood said. She believes it used to be a service station and gathering place for the watermen of Hobson and other surrounding communities.

The Suffolk Fire Marshals Office is investigating the cause of the fire.