Devastating fire 'strikes at the heart of,' extensively damages historic SC church
A historic South Carolina church that was built more than 160 years ago was severely damaged by a fire Sunday morning.
St. Andrew's Church in the Old Village of Mount Pleasant, outside of Charleston, suffered extensive damage, according to the church's official Facebook page.
Fire crews responded to the blaze about 3:30 a.m., counton2.com reported.
"The roof did collapse early in the fire," said Mount Pleasant Fire Chief Mike Mixon, adding that the blaze was "involved" when firefighters arrived at the scene. The fire was brought under control before 5 a.m.
The section of the church where the roof caved in was the ministry center, which was built in 1996, postandcourier.com reported.
But the older section of the building, the church's historic sanctuary appeared to have been spared from significant damage, according to Mixon.
The sanctuary was designed in 1857 by famed architect E.B. White, who also designed the French Huguenot Church in downtown Charleston, postandcourier.com reported.
"Lift high the cross! We will be just fine," Rector Steve Wood said in a Facebook post shared by the church that included a startling picture interior damage. "The Lord promises to bring beauty out of ashes. I trust His Word."
No injuries were reported, according to Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie, a member of St. Andrew's Church, who called the situation "devastating."
"We have a lot to be thankful for. But this is devastating," Haynie said. "We thank God for what's left, we thank God we still have each other. . . . But it strikes at the heart of Mount Pleasant."
Authorities have not given a cause for the fire, which is under investigation by the Mount Pleasant fire and police departments, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
Sunday's services were canceled, and St. Andrew's parishioners were encouraged to attend the church's other campuses in Charleston and North Charleston.
About 2,000 members attend services at St. Andrew's Mount Pleasant campus, which also runs a preschool that will be closed until further notice, postandcourier.com reported.
"Any loss, whether it's a house fire, or whether its a car fire, a historic church with a large congregation is tough on us, we care about this community, we love this community. We want to do everything to help them," Mixon said.
Hundreds have reacted to the news of the fire and damage on Facebook.
"Please keep our church in your prayers and especially our leadership as they navigate a way forward," the church wrote on Facebook.
This story was originally published April 22, 2018 at 8:25 PM with the headline "Devastating fire 'strikes at the heart of,' extensively damages historic SC church."