A fire destroyed the former Friendship Baptist Church on Cleveland’s east side early Friday. The blaze began around 2 a.m. at the vacant building on the corner of East 55th Street and Central Avenue in the Central neighborhood.
Flames fully engulfed the structure. Windows blew out and the roof collapsed. Pieces of wood and roofing material flew into the air. The heat was so intense that firefighters moved their trucks farther back during the first attack.
Cleveland Division of Fire crews arrived to find the fire already coming through the roof. Officials declared a second-alarm fire. Fourteen companies and nearly 60 firefighters responded. Some companies rotated in during the morning to relieve those who had worked through the night. Crews protected a nearby building on the south side of the property. That structure was not damaged.
Lieutenant Mike Norman of the Cleveland Division of Fire said there were no injuries. He estimated the loss at 500,000 dollars. Norman described the building as historic and more than 100 years old, noting its stonework. He said the structure is likely a total loss. East 55th Street remained closed in both directions while crews continued to hit hot spots.
The building was constructed in 1896 as a Jewish synagogue. It later became a Christian Baptist church known as Friendship Baptist. At its peak in the 1950s and 1960s the congregation numbered about 1,000 members. Membership had fallen to around 40 by 2014. The church closed years ago and stood vacant. Police had responded over time to reports of break-ins and vandalism at the site.
The cause of the fire has not been determined. Investigators are examining the origin. Smoke from the fire reached portions of downtown Cleveland. Firefighters remained on scene into the morning hours.
