A historic East Village church was destroyed after a fire broke out in a nearby empty building on Saturday morning, according to official reports.
“I would consider it very serious damage,” FDNY Deputy Chief John Hodgens said at a news conference. “It’s going to be a difficult time for them to rebuild.”
FDNY Assistant Chief John Hodgens provides an update from the scene of this morning’s 6-alarm fire at 48 East 7th Street in Manhattan. Read more: https://t.co/Pd7XgtfwlD. Photos shown here were taken earlier in the operation. (Photo Credit: FDNY Response Videos) pic.twitter.com/M5smab1nmi
More than 200 firefighters responded to the six-alarm blaze, which started shortly before 5 a.m. on the first floor of a building at 47 East 7th Street.
The fire then spread to the 128-year-old Middle Collegiate Church, causing its roof to collapse. The fire also spread to another building on 7th Street, where the fire was contained after it started.
Four firefighters suffered minor injuries in the fire, added the FDNY chief.
Church leaders said they were devastated by the destruction.
“We are destroyed. Our building is destroyed. We are sad. We are hopeful. But we are here. No one died, thank God,” said the Rev. Jacqui Lewis, senior minister of Middle Collegiate Church.
We are devastated and crushed that our beloved physical sanctuary at Middle Collegiate Church has burned.
According to the church’s website, the building features a large Tiffany skylight dome and more than a dozen Tiffany windows.
The website indicates that it is “the oldest congregation of the Collegiate Churches in New York” and “the oldest corporation in North America, established by a royal charter from King William III of England in 1696.” It is considered one of the “leading multicultural and multiracial congregations in the United States,” supporting LGBTQA + equality and equal marriage.
The vacant apartment building also caught fire in February, according to the FDNY.
Operations to contain the fire were still underway as of mid-morning on Saturday. The cause of the fire is also being investigated.
Visit the NY1 News page with our special coverage on the coronavirus:
