Fire at historic Black church in Memphis was intentionally set, investigators say
- Investigators say a fire intentionally set on April 28, 2025, gutted Memphis's historic Clayborn Temple, a Black church downtown.
- The fire occurred amid a $25 million restoration project aimed at preserving the church's Romanesque revival architecture and reviving its 3,000-pipe organ.
- Clayborn Temple served as the base for the 1968 strike by mostly Black sanitation workers that attracted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. To the city, hosting daily gatherings and organizing marches throughout the protest.
- According to the Memphis Fire Department, the building's interior was completely destroyed, though there remains potential to preserve some portions of the facade following stabilization efforts.
- Investigators continue searching for a suspect linked to the blaze, and the fire threatens to undermine ongoing efforts to revitalize the neighborhood through cultural and community programs.
65 Articles
65 Articles


Leader of historic burned Memphis church says it's third fire tied to her family in weeks
The fire that left the historic Clayborn Temple in Downtown Memphis in ruins is being investigated as an arson. The church's leader said it's the third fire tied to her or her family in a little over two weeks.
Fire that engulfed historic Black church in Memphis was intentional, investigators say
A fire that severely damaged a historic Black church that served as the headquarters for a 1968 sanitation workers’ strike, which brought the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Memphis, was intentionally set, investigators said Wednesday.
Arson ruled cause of fire at historic black church known for Civil Rights activism
A fire set at a historic African American church in Tennessee that had ties to the 1960s Civil Rights Movement was intentionally set, according to local authorities. #Arson #ClaybornTemple #church #history #civilrightsmovement #Tennessee
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