Historic Indiana Township church significantly damaged by fire

An historic church in Indiana Township, Allegheny County, suffered significant damage in a fire on Wednesday afternoon.

The fire at the Trinity United Church of Christ, which has stood in the Dorseyville neighborhood for 150 years, began in the back corner of the building near a prayer room, according to Pastor David Mears, who was the only person inside when the blaze started. 

He said he smelled something off and called for help. The county fire marshal will determine the cause of the blaze. 

"It's heartbreaking," Mears said. "Part of me wants to just sit down and cry."

The roof at the back of the church collapsed, and smoke was seen rising from the steeple. Mears said the church's next service will celebrate that no one was physically injured. 

"We will find a way to meet somewhere on Sunday morning. Might be in a fire hall, might be in a township building, might be in a parking lot," Mears said. "We will find a way to be the church on Sunday."

Eventually, he said, the church's community will return to the site of the building, whether that means it must be fully torn down and rebuilt or not.

"We've gone to church in this place for 175 years, and we'll find a way to continue to go to church in this place," Mears said. 

If they do have to start again, it won't be from scratch. Firefighters brought out Bibles, flags and a large cross.

"If there's a group of people that can come back from something like this, it's this group of people. We always have," said Cassie Heckert, whose family has gone to the church for generations. 

She's thought about how other families may no longer have three generations all at the same church. 

"It's gut-wrenching," she said.