ST. LOUIS — A fire damaged an old church building in the Soulard neighborhood in St. Louis.
The St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said the department was called to Gravois and Allen Avenue around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. The smoke was coming from what used to be the House of God Church, but the church is now being used as a creative arts center known as the Lucas Schoolhouse.
Jenkerson said that after going inside through the front, crews had to turn around because of how heavy the flames were.
“We had to get bigger water in for a bigger fire," he said.
He said there were about 65 firefighters on scene, and that the inside layout of the church made things difficult.
“We do these all the time, a lot of buildings in the City have been repurposed, so the original structure as you view it from the outside is not what you find on the inside," he said.
The site that was once a place of worship is now home to a local artist's lifelong dream.
5 On Your Side also talked with those who worked at this site. They said it was too hard to talk about what happened. But, remarkably the fire didn't touch the art gallery inside, and they are hopeful the old church can be repaired to keep serving as a space for artists.
The fire department said the cause of this fire is still under investigation. They also said no one was hurt.
To donate and help the church recover from damage, visit their GoFundMe set up to save the Lucas Schoolhouse.