Historic South Carolina church saved after communion table set ablaze, officials say
A historic church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was intentionally set on fireMonday, the second fire at the church in two years, the town’s mayor said.
One person was arrested in connection with the fire at St. Andrew’s Church, the mayor said on Twitter.
A fire alarm went off in the historic chapel at about 2:30 p.m. Monday, the church said in a Facebook post. The church facilities manager, Roger Grant, went into the building and found the linen and the frontal on the communion table on fire, according to the post.
“He immediately grabbed a handheld fire extinguisher and extinguished it,” the church said.
By 8 p.m. Monday, St. Andrew’s said police told church officials they made an arrest in connection with the fire.
“We anticipate having our regular services in the Historic Church on Wednesday and Sunday,” the church said.
The church was completed in 1857, according to the town’s historical commission.
The church had a much larger fire in April 2018, when the ministry center on the property was destroyed, according to the church website. A church representative said that was an electrical fire.
This historic chapel survived that blaze. “That old church building has survived a war and earthquakes and hurricanes,” the church said after the 2018 fire.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the reason for the April 2018 fire at St. Andrew’s Church. That fire was caused by an electrical problem.
This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 10:47 AM.
