Historic Cleveland Church Destroyed In Massive East Side Fire
A massive fire destroyed a historic church on Cleveland’s East Side early Friday morning.
The fire broke out just before 2 a.m. at the former Friendship Baptist Church near East 55th Street and Central Avenue. Flames were already shooting through the roof when Cleveland firefighters arrived at the scene.
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Multiple ladder trucks were used to attack the blaze from different angles as crews worked to bring the fire under control. The flames and smoke could be seen from areas near Downtown Cleveland.
Debris and ash from the building also landed on surrounding streets as the fire tore through the structure.
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Historic Cleveland Church Dates Back More Than 130 Years
The building has stood in Cleveland for more than 130 years.
The structure at 5600 Central Avenue was originally built in 1894 as the Willson Avenue Temple for the Tifereth Israel congregation. The congregation later moved to University Circle in the 1920s.
The building eventually became home to Mount Zion Congregational Church before Friendship Baptist Church moved into the property around 1940.
Friendship Baptist became an important religious and community institution in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood during the 20th century.
The church building was reportedly vacant at the time of Friday morning’s fire.
Cause Of Cleveland Church Fire Under Investigation
No human injuries were reported in connection with the blaze.
Firefighters were expected to remain at the scene for several hours Friday as investigators examined the property and gathered information from witnesses and nearby residents.
Officials have not announced what caused the fire.
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional information could be released as Cleveland Fire continues examining the scene.
Historic Cleveland Church Destroyed In Massive East Side Fire was originally published on newstalkcleveland.com
