As they gathered for a prayer service Monday night, the parishioners of the fire-ravaged historic First African Methodist Episcopal Church vowed to rebuild their home of worship from the ashes left behind.
OAKLAND -- As they gathered for a prayer service Monday night, the parishioners of Oakland's fire-ravaged historic First African Methodist Episcopal Church vowed to rebuild their home of worship from the ashes left behind.
A 3-alarm fire roared to life after shortly midnight on Monday in the attic of the oldest Black church in Oakland. The flames spread quickly and became so intense firefighters were forced to battle the blaze defensively using three ladder pipes and crews on the ground to put water onto the roof and interior of the building.but the damage was extensive. Firefighters still were searching for the cause on Tuesday.
"It's just devastating," Pastor Rodney Smith told KPIX."Not only for the parishioners, but for the city. We have served and educated the community longer than anybody. This is going to be a big loss." "It felt like a sense of grief," she told KPIX."This church is where our grandparents came, our parents came. It was a refuge, place where you get an education. A place where we come together. It's like losing a family home.
The church was started in 1858 by a small group of residents. In 1863, they purchased the former schoolhouse which had been constructed by Horace Carpentier. The church moved to its present location at 37th and Telegraph in 1954, and became First African Methodist Episcopal Church. Thanks for reading CBS NEWS.Please enter valid email address to continue
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