Sat. Aug 2nd, 2025

Church Housing New York Liberty Bell Burns Down

A historic church in lower Manhattan that houses New York’s Liberty Bell and whose congregation dates to the city’s earliest days was gutted by a massive fire early Saturday that sent flames shooting through the roof.

The Middle Collegiate Church in the East Village burned before dawn Saturday after a fire spread from a five-story vacant building adjacent to the church around 5 a.m. Flames shot from the roof and the church’s stately front window glowed from the conflagration inside.

“We are devastated. We are gutted like our building is gutted; our hearts are crushed like our doors are crushed,” said the Rev. Jacqueline J. Lewis. “But we know how to be the church, and we know that God is God, yesterday, today and tomorrow.”

The fire department said in an Instagram post that there were four minor injuries to firefighters and that marshals were investigating the blaze.

Built in 1892, the church is home to the oldest congregation of the Collegiate Churches of New York, which date to the Dutch settlement of the island in the 1620s, according to the church’s website.

The Middle Collegiate Church had been in two other locations in Manhattan since 1729.

The bell tower houses New York’s Liberty Bell, which pealed to mark the birth of the nation in 1776 and has since been rung for the inaugurations and deaths of American presidents and events such as remembrance of the Sept. 11 attacks, according to the church.

Lewis believed the bell survived the fire but was not certain. Church minister Amanda Ashcraft told WABC that the Tiffany stained glass windows were gone.

Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted that the fire was “heartbreaking” and pledged: “We’ll do whatever we can to help Middle Collegiate rebuild.”

The fate of the church building is unclear, Lewis said, but the ministry will continue.

“Our church has been worshipping digitally since March 15,” Lewis said. “And that’s what we’ll be doing tomorrow.” {eoa}

Copyright 2020. The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Leave a Reply

By submitting your comment, you agree to receive occasional emails from [email protected], and its authors, including insights, exclusive content, and special offers. You can unsubscribe at any time. (U.S. residents only.)

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Podcasts

More News
The Lord’s Prayer and Cultural Change
The Lord’s Prayer and Cultural Change
I Found God In My Children’s Eyes
I Found God In My Children’s Eyes
5 Sins That Open the Door to Demons, and How to Shut Them for Good
5 Sins That Open the Door to Demons, and How to Shut Them for Good
5 Signs You’re Falling Into End-Times Deception and Don’t Even Know It
5 Signs You’re Falling Into End-Times Deception and Don’t Even Know It
Why Grace Is the Most Underrated Weapon in the Christian Life
Why Grace Is the Most Underrated Weapon in the Christian Life
Warning to the Church: Gossip is Quenching the Fire of the Holy Spirit
Warning to the Church: Gossip is Quenching the Fire of the Holy Spirit
Perry Stone Reveals Hidden Battles Ministries Face
Perry Stone Reveals Hidden Battles Ministries Face
A Vision of Hell: What This Woman Saw After Her Car Accident
A Vision of Hell: What This Woman Saw After Her Car Accident
What Set This Revelation Church Apart from the Others?
What Set This Revelation Church Apart from the Others?
Rescued From the Pit
Rescued From the Pit
previous arrow
next arrow
Shadow

Latest Videos
113K Subscribers
1.3K Videos
12.6M Views

Copy link