Historic Brooklyn Church Destroyed by Fire

On Friday, a significant fire consumed the 173-year-old South Bushwick Reformed Church in Brooklyn, causing its spire to collapse.

The blaze erupted on Bushwick Avenue near Himrod Street at approximately 1:20 p.m., as reported by the FDNY.

Footage from the scene showed heavy smoke and flames emanating from the church’s spire.

Within 20 minutes of the fire starting, a witness shared on social media that the steeple had collapsed and described the damage as a “total loss.”

By that time, the fire had triggered three alerts, involving 63 FDNY units and nearly 200 firefighters and emergency personnel. Fortunately, the inferno was largely under control by around 3:35 p.m., but the cause remains under investigation.

One firefighter suffered minor injuries during the effort and was treated by paramedics but declined further medical attention, as indicated by the department. No details about the fire’s origin have been provided to date.

Originally built in 1853, the church’s congregation has roots tracing back to the Dutch settlement era in the 17th century.

A foundation dedicated to historical sites noted that the church’s steeple had previously been damaged during Tropical Storm Isaias in August 2020, when it was knocked off its vertical alignment. It had undergone repairs after being impacted by other storms over the years, though the underlying issues remained unaddressed.

In August 2021, an inspection led to a violation order for the church after it was found that the steeple was “leaning,” and parts of the roof were deemed “loose and sagging,” posing a potential hazard. The church community had rallied, raising $100,000 in donations and securing a grant that allowed for the steeple’s restoration, completed in 2022.