The
fire was discovered at approximately 2:00 AM by a passing motorist. Although
Firemen from fourteen Fire Companies battled the blaze their efforts were
hampered by the necessity of hauling water from Grottoes and Weyers Cave, a
distance of three to five miles.
The fire destroyed the sanctuary and the
adjacent education wing at the rear of the church. The offices and
fellowship hall attached to the right side of the education wing were saved
although they suffered some water and smoke damage. Office equipment and
church records were moved to the Fellowship hall by the Firemen and were
unharmed. The source of the fire has been classified as electrical.
The congregation
celebrated Easter with a worship service held at the Weyers Cave Community
Center.
Many churches and
organizations responded with offers of assistance in the wake of this tragedy,
including offers to host the congregation's worship services on an interim
basis. A decision was made to rent the Grottoes Fire Department's meeting
facilities for this purpose until the church's fellowship hall was repaired and
again habitable.
Initially members of the congregation were stunned by the
loss of this facility which was a part of so many wonderful and memorial events
in their lives such as weddings, baptisms, etc. But they quickly rose to the
occasion and there was a groundswell of optimism regarding Mount Horeb's
potential as we responded to the challenge of rebuilding to meet the future
needs of the community.
See Demolition
Pictures
Visit
the Church History page
