Latest news with #SecondPresbyterianChurch
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Foundations donate $1.5 million to help restore historic Black church in Memphis gutted by arson
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Several foundations have donated $1.5 million to help rebuild after arson gutted a historic Black church in Memphis, Tenn., that played an important role in the civil rights movement. Clayborn Temple had been undergoing a years-long renovation when someone intentionally set a fire inside the church in the early hours of April 28, destroying almost everything but parts of the facade. Before the fire, the Romanesque revival church was in the midst of a $25-million restoration project that included restoring a 3,000-pipe grand organ. The project also sought to help revitalize the neighborhood with a museum, cultural programming and community outreach. Despite the extensive damage, Anasa Troutman, executive director of Historic Clayborn Temple, has said they plan to continue moving forward with the restoration. Troutman announced the new donations for that effort Wednesday. The money comes from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund along with the Mellon and Ford foundations. Located just south of the iconic Beale Street, Clayborn Temple was built in 1892 as the Second Presbyterian Church and originally served an all-white congregation. In 1949, the building was sold to an African Methodist Episcopal congregation and given its current name. In 1968, the church served as the headquarters for a sanitation workers' strike, which brought the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis, where he was assassinated.
5 days ago
Foundations donate $1.5M to help restore historic Black church in Memphis gutted by arson
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Several foundations have donated $1.5 million to help rebuild after arson gutted a historic Black church in Memphis, Tennessee, that played an important role in the civil rights movement. Clayborn Temple had been undergoing a yearslong renovation when someone intentionally set a fire inside the church in the early hours of April 28, destroying almost everything but parts of the facade. Before the fire, the Romanesque revival church was in the midst of a $25 million restoration project that included restoring a 3,000-pipe grand organ. The project also sought to help revitalize the neighborhood with a museum, cultural programing and community outreach. Despite the extensive damage, Anasa Troutman, executive director of Historic Clayborn Temple, has said they plan to continue moving forward with the restoration. Troutman announced the new donations for that effort Wednesday. The money comes from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund along with the Mellon and Ford foundations. Located just south of the iconic Beale Street, Clayborn Temple was built in 1892 as the Second Presbyterian Church and originally served an all-white congregation. In 1949, the building was sold to an African Methodist Episcopal congregation and given its current name. In 1968, the church served as the headquarters for a sanitation workers' strike, which brought the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis, where he was assassinated.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
$1.5M donation given to rebuild Clayborn Temple
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A $1.5 million donation has been given to Clayborn Temple to be rebuilt after it was destroyed by fire that was intentionally set. The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund kicked off the fundraising campaign with a $1.5 million grant. A news conference was held marking a month since the Clayborn Temple fire. Fire destroys Clayborn Temple, historic Memphis church with ties to Civil Rights movement 'We have spent a month mourning, it's been a month of tears,' said Anasa Troutman, Founder and Executive Director of Historic Clayborn Team. Clayborn Temple was the launching point for a march for sanitation workers' rights that brought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis in 1968. The iconic 'I Am A Man' signs used in the march were printed there. Dr. King planned to march with sanitation workers from Clayborn Temple on April 8, before he was assassinated on April 4 on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. His wife, Coretta Scott King, led strikers and thousands of supporters in his place. The building dates to 1892, when it was originally Second Presbyterian Church. In 1949, the building was sold to the African Methodist Episcopal church and was renamed Clayborn Temple. Clayborn Temple fire ruled arson; person sought 'Just imagine what this is going to look like when it is complete,' said Martin Luther King II, Civil Rights Activist. 'This is a sacred place for our city, and as we talk about what's next, we want you to know that Memphis is going to be apart– that the city is going to play a role in what's next,' said Mayor Paul Young. People at Clayborn Temple have started design work, and new designs will be made for the remaining portions. 'Memphis is known for its grit and its grind, and because of that spirit, we are going to make Clayborn Temple what it was, make it even better,' said Congressman Steve Cohen. 'We might cry tomorrow, we might cry next week, but today, while we are together, we are going to rejoice in the beauty and the power and the possibility of what remains behind us, Clayborn Temple has been damaged, but it has not been destroyed,' said Troutman. There is a $10,000 reward for any information on the suspect who set the fire. If you have any information, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-05-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
Fire at historic Black church in Memphis was intentionally set, investigators say
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A fire that severely damaged a historic Black church that served as the headquarters for a 1968 sanitation workers' strike, which brought the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis, was intentionally set, investigators said Wednesday. The fire at Clayborn Temple, which was undergoing a yearslong renovation, was set in the interior of the church, the Memphis Fire Department said in a statement. Investigators are searching for a person suspected of being involved with the blaze. Flames engulfed the downtown church in the early hours of April 28. Later that day Memphis Fire Chief Gina Sweat said the inside of the building was a total loss but there was still hope that some of the facade could be salvaged. The fire department said May 14 that the building had been stabilized and investigators would use specialized equipment to study the fire's cause. 'Clayborn Temple is sacred ground — home to generations of struggle, resilience and creativity,' Anasa Troutman, executive director of Historic Clayborn Temple, said Wednesday. 'This act of violence is painful, but it will not break our spirit.' Located just south of the iconic Beale Street, Clayborn Temple was built in 1892 as the Second Presbyterian Church and originally served an all-white congregation. In 1949 the building was sold to an African Methodist Episcopal congregation and given its current name. Before the fire it was in the midst of a $25 million restoration project that aims to preserve the architectural and historical integrity of the Romanesque revival church, including the revival of a 3,000-pipe grand organ. The project also seeks to help revitalize the neighborhood with a museum, cultural programing and community outreach. King was drawn to Memphis in 1968 to support some 1,300 predominantly Black sanitation workers who went on strike to protest inhumane treatment. Two workers had been crushed in a garbage compactor in 1964, but the faulty equipment had not been replaced. On Feb. 1 of that year, two more men, Echol Cole, 36, and Robert Walker, 30, were crushed in a garbage truck compactor. The two were contract workers, so they did not qualify for worker's compensation, and had no life insurance. Workers then went on strike seeking to unionize and fighting for higher pay and safer working conditions. City officials declared the stoppage illegal and arrested scores of strikers and protesters. Clayborn Temple hosted nightly meetings during the strike, and the movement's iconic 'I AM A MAN' posters were made in its basement. The temple was also a staging point for marches to City Hall, including one on March 28, 1968, that was led by King and turned violent when police and protesters clashed on Beale Street. One person was killed. When marchers retreated to the temple, police fired tear gas inside and people broke some of the stained-glass windows to escape. King promised to lead a second, peaceful march in Memphis, but he was shot by a sniper while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel on April 4. After King was assassinated and the strike ended with the workers securing a pay raise, the church's influence waned. It fell into disrepair and was vacant for years before the renovation effort, which took off in 2017 thanks to a $400,000 grant from the National Park Service. Clayborn Temple was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. A memorial to the sanitation workers, named 'I AM A MAN Plaza,' opened on church grounds in 2018. About $8 million had been spent on the renovations before the fire, and the exterior had been fully restored, Troutman said. She said in a recent interview that two chimneys had to be demolished before investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives could safely work on the property, but the church organ had been removed before the fire. As the fire was burning, she said, people went to the 'I AM A MAN' memorial and stood at a wall where the names of the striking sanitation workers are listed.
21-05-2025
- General
Fire at historic Black church in Memphis was intentionally set, investigators say
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A fire that severely damaged a historic Black church that served as the headquarters for a 1968 sanitation workers' strike, which brought the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis, was intentionally set, investigators said Wednesday. The fire at the Clayborn Temple, which was undergoing a yearslong renovation, was set in the interior of the church, the Memphis Fire Department said in a statement. Investigators are searching for a person suspected of being involved with the blaze. Flames engulfed the downtown church in the early hours of April 28. Later that day Memphis Fire Chief Gina Sweat said the inside of the building was a total loss but there was still hope that some of the facade could be salvaged. The fire department said May 14 that the building had been stabilized and investigators would use specialized equipment to study the fire's cause. Located just south of the iconic Beale Street, the Clayborn Temple was built in 1892 as the Second Presbyterian Church and originally served an all-white congregation. In 1949 the building was sold to an African Methodist Episcopal congregation and given its current name. Before the fire it was in the midst of a $25 million restoration project that aims to preserve the architectural and historical integrity of the Romanesque revival church, including the revival of a 3,000-pipe grand organ. The project also seeks to help revitalize the neighborhood with a museum, cultural programing and community outreach. King was drawn to Memphis in 1968 to support some 1,300 predominantly Black sanitation workers who went on strike to protest inhumane treatment. Two workers had been crushed in a garbage compactor in 1964, but the faulty equipment had not been replaced. On Feb. 1 of that year, two more men, Echol Cole, 36, and Robert Walker, 30, were crushed in a garbage truck compactor. The two were contract workers, so they did not qualify for worker's compensation, and had no life insurance. Workers then went on strike seeking to unionize and fighting for higher pay and safer working conditions. City officials declared the stoppage illegal and arrested scores of strikers and protesters. The Clayborn Temple hosted nightly meetings during the strike, and the movement's iconic 'I AM A MAN' posters were made in its basement. The temple was also a staging point for marches to City Hall, including one on March 28, 1968, that was led by King and turned violent when police and protesters clashed on Beale Street. One person was killed. When marchers retreated to the temple, police fired tear gas inside and people broke some of the stained-glass windows to escape. King promised to lead a second, peaceful march in Memphis, but he was shot by a sniper while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel on April 4. After King was assassinated and the strike ended with the workers securing a pay raise, the church's influence waned. It fell into disrepair and was vacant for years before the renovation effort, which took off in 2017 thanks to a $400,000 grant from the National Park Service. The Clayborn Temple was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. A memorial to the sanitation workers, named 'I AM A MAN Plaza,' opened on church grounds in 2018. Anasa Troutman has been leading the restoration as executive director of Historic Clayborn Temple and founder of a nonprofit associated with the church, called The Big We. About $8 million had been spent on the renovations before the fire, and the exterior had been fully restored, Troutman said. She said in a recent interview that two chimneys had to be demolished before investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives could safely work on the property, but the church organ had been removed before the fire. As the fire was burning, she said, people went to the 'I AM A MAN' memorial and stood at a wall where the names of the striking sanitation workers are listed. 'I watched that wall turn into the Wailing Wall, because people were literally getting out of their cars, walking up to that wall and wailing, staring at the building on fire,' she said.
