LINESVILLE — The teenager who has confessed to burning down Conneaut Lake Park’s Dreamland Ballroom and Harmonsburg Presbyterian Church claims he tried but failed to put out the fires he started before they destroyed both buildings.

Nineteen-year-old Hartstown resident Nickolas Pope admitted he was out “to cause mischief” when he left a party and ended up causing $180,000 in damage to the historic 160-year-old church. The $1.5 million Dreamland Ballroom blaze appears to be little more than an act of aimless boredom.

The never-before-public details of both fires emerged Wednesday at a preliminary hearing for Pope in testimony by Special Agent Jason Wick of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Pope was ordered held for trial on two counts each of arson endangering persons, arson endangering property, burglary and criminal trespass following the nearly 90-minute hearing before Magisterial District Judge Rita Marwood.

Pope is accused by Pennsylvania State Police of setting fires that destroyed the church Jan. 13 and Dreamland Ballroom Feb. 1.

Pope was arrested April 4 after an investigation by state police and agents from the federal ATFE.

Pope’s name kept surfacing during interviews with associates and friends of Pope’s on April 3, Wick testified.

Pope agreed to meet with ATFE agents April 4 at Conneaut Lake Regional Police Department, Wick said.

During an interview in which Pope was advised he wasn’t under arrest, Pope admitted to setting the church fire and as well as the fire at Dreamland Ballroom, Wick testified. Pope was then questioned again with the interview videotaped, Wick said.

Pope told investigators he was at a party in Harmonsburg Jan. 13 and left with two other individuals “to cause mischief,” Wick testified.

Pope said he went to the rear of the church building, removed a window pane and went inside the church while the two others stayed outside, Wick testified.

Pope told investigators he used a butane lighter to try to ignite a Bible at the pulpit, but it didn’t catch fire, Wick said. Pope said he then ignited a flag in the sanctuary, tried to extinguish the blaze, but couldn’t, Wick testified.

Pope stated he and the two others then went back to the party, though later one or two others left the party to watch firemen put out the blaze, Wick said.

With regard to Conneaut Lake Park’s Dreamland Ballroom fire Feb. 1, Pope told investigators he had driven to the amusement park with another friend early that morning and they walked through the park, Wick said.

Wick testified Pope said he entered the Dreamland Ballroom/maintenance building through an unlocked door. Pope said made a torch out of wood, rags and cooking oil he found in the building and walked around inside it, Wick testified.