Fireplace that destroyed historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis was deliberately set, investigators say

The fireplace that destroyed the Clayborn Temple, a historic Black church in downtown Memphis that was the organizing level for Martin Luther King Jr.’s closing marketing campaign in 1968, was deliberately set, investigators stated Wednesday.

The Memphis Fireplace Division stated the fireplace on April 28 was began on the inside of the church, and authorities are trying to find an individual of curiosity. Memphis Fireplace Chief Gina Sweat final month described the within of the church as “a total loss.”

Media Replace: Clayborn Temple Fireplace Investigation pic.twitter.com/mcFaPmt9NW

The fireplace division additionally launched pictures of the particular person they’re trying to find on Wednesday however offered no different particulars.

A $11,000 money reward is being supplied for data relating to the large blaze, authorities stated. 

The fireplace division stated Could 14 that the constructing had been stabilized and investigators would use specialised tools to check the fireplace’s trigger.

Positioned simply south of the enduring Beale Road, the Clayborn Temple was in-built 1892 because the Second Presbyterian Church and initially served an all-White congregation. In 1949, the constructing was bought to an African Methodist Episcopal congregation and given its present identify.

Earlier than the fireplace, it was within the midst of a $25 million restoration venture that goals to protect the architectural and historic integrity of the Romanesque revival church, together with the revival of a 3,000-pipe grand organ. The venture additionally seeks to assist revitalize the neighborhood with a museum, cultural programming and neighborhood outreach.

Firefighters exterior the historic Clayborn Temple, a landmark from the Civil Rights Motion with ties to Martin Luther King Jr., after it caught fireplace Monday, April 28, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn.

Karen Pulfer Focht / AP

Extra from CBS Information