Heavily damaged by an arson attack in April, the historic Clayborn Temple Church of Memphis received about $1.5 million in donations for restoration.
Multiple foundations have contributed around $1.5 million to aid in its rebuilding, including the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Ford Foundation, according to The Associated Press.
The building, originally established as Second Presbyterian Church in 1892, was sold to an African Methodist Episcopal congregation in 1949, which named it Clayborn Temple.
Over the years, Clayborn Temple served as a central location for Civil Rights activism, notably as a gathering site for striking Memphis sanitation workers in 1968. The church closed in 1999, and at the time of the fire, the building was undergoing a $6 million renovation project when an unidentified individual set the fire in April.
The Memphis Fire Department issued a statement last month, concluding that “the fire was intentionally set on the interior of the historic church” and is actively seeking a person of interest for their potential involvement. The department added that it “will continue conducting this investigation to apprehend who is responsible for setting the fire at this historic church.”
