115-year-old West Philly church deemed ‘imminently dangerous’ after fire
Church officials have several days to develop a plan to secure the site before the city steps in — a move that could include the partial demolition of the former St. Gregory’s Roman Catholic Church.
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A three-alarm fire that ravaged a 115-year-old stone church Tuesday in the Parkside section of West Philadelphia left the structure “imminently dangerous,” officials say.
Concerned about heavy roof tiles or other debris falling from the burned building, crews have established a “safety zone” fence around the Greater Bible Way Temple at 52nd and Warren Streets, said Karen Guss, a spokesperson for the Department of Licenses and Inspections.
Church officials now have several days to develop a plan to secure the site before the city steps in — a move that could include the partial demolition of the former St. Gregory’s Roman Catholic Church, built in 1904, Guss said.
Officials were still investigating the cause of the blaze that tore through the church’s steeple around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday and was placed under control around 6.
Investigators are aware of cell-phone video that was taken before the fire erupted and showed a worker with a propane tank on the roof of the church, but have not pinpointed the cause of the blaze, officials said.
After pouring water on the church all night to dampen hot spots, firefighters returned to the building around 12:25 p.m. Wednesday to extinguish a small fire that had rekindled in a window sill.
But while officials work to assess the damage, congregants of the Greater Bible Way Temple say they’re already focused on rebuilding.
Church administrator Regina Williams said Wednesday the church has set up a GoFundMe account to collect donations and supplies to restore the century-old structure. Greater Bible Way Temple moved to the location in 1984.
“Because the building is historical, we’re trying to keep as much of the frame as possible,” Williams said, adding that anyone interested in donating can contact her through the GoFundMe site. “The whole church is gone, so we’re going to have to rebuild."
“I’ve been here for 47 years. It means everything to me,” she added. “I grew up in this church.”
No matter the structure’s status, there will be a Sunday service, Williams said.
Bishop Benjamin Peterson Jr. told the Philadelphia Tribune he plans to hold a Sunday service in a tent near the site.
“We want to reach out to the community to let them know that we’re still looking for people to get saved,” he told the Tribune.