Fire Destroys Historic Memphis Church
Methodist Church, Built In 1893, Largely Destroyed; 2 Other Buildings Damaged
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Play CBS Video Video Historic Memphis Church Burns CBS News RAW: What started as a fire in a historic Memphis church soon swept through several downtown buildings. The blaze was first reported at the First United Methodist Church at 3 a.m.
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Fire swept through First United Methodist Church in downtown Memphis, Oct. 6, 2006. The church, built in 1893, was largely destroyed. (WREG)
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Fire crews spray water over the blaze, which destroyed most of a historic Memphis church, early Friday, Oct. 6, 2006. (WREG)
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Fire crews spray water over the blaze, which destroyd most of a historic Memphis church, early Friday, Oct. 6, 2006. (WREG)
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No injuries were immediately reported. The cause of the church fire was under investigation.
The First United Methodist Church, built in 1893, was largely destroyed by the flames, which were reported shortly before 3 a.m. Its roof caved in, the steeple toppled and some of the walls crumbled onto the streets.
The fire seems to have started before 4 a.m. in the basement of the First United Methodist Church. It started in the portion of the building that houses a day care center, and quickly spread through the church sanctuary, CBS News Memphis affiliate WREG reports.
Watch RAW video from WREG of efforts to extinguish the fire.
Soon after the fire started at the church, three other nearby buildings began burning, including the Lincoln American Tower, once the tallest building in Memphis. The wind was blowing at about 10 mph in that general direction at the time.
The buildings were part of a $45 million renovation into condominiums. Owner Will Chandler told a local television station that he was worried one could not be salvaged, but he said it looked like the tower might be saved.
The Rev. Martha Wagley, pastor of the church, said members of her congregation gathered on the sidewalks as the building burned, crying and hugging and telling stories of who was "married and buried" in the building and things that had happened in worship services.
Wagley said her church is a "seven day a week" church with a food pantry and other ministries to people downtown.
"The building is lost, but not the church," Wagley said.
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
- CBSNews.com on Digg
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