The fire that destroyed the Clayborn Temple, a historic Black church in downtown Memphis that was the organizing point for Martin Luther King Jr.’s final campaign in 1968, was intentionally set, investigators said Wednesday.
The Memphis Fire Department said the fire on April 28 was started on the interior of the church, and authorities are searching for a person of interest. Memphis Fire Chief Gina Sweat last month described the inside of the church as “a total loss.”
Media Update: Clayborn Temple Fire Investigation pic.twitter.com/mcFaPmt9NW
— Memphis Fire Department (@MEM_Fire) May 21, 2025
The fire department also released images of the person they’re searching for on Wednesday but provided no other details.
A $11,000 cash reward is being offered for information regarding the massive blaze, authorities said.
The fire department said May 14 that the building had been stabilized and investigators would use specialized equipment to study the fire’s cause.
Located just south of the iconic Beale Street, the Clayborn Temple was built in 1892 as the Second Presbyterian Church and originally served an all-White congregation. In 1949, the building was sold to an African Methodist Episcopal congregation and given its current name.
Before the fire, it was in the midst of a $25 million restoration project that aims to preserve the architectural and historical integrity of the Romanesque revival church, including the revival of a 3,000-pipe grand organ. The project also seeks to help revitalize the neighborhood with a museum, cultural programming and community outreach.
Kiki Intarasuwan is a news editor for CBS News & Stations.
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