Investigators said Wednesday that the fire that destroyed the Clayborn Temple, a historic Black church in downtown Memphis that served as the organizing point for Martin Luther King Jr.’s final campaign in 1968, was intentionally set.
The Memphis Fire Department reported that the fire on April 28 began on the church’s interior, and authorities are looking for a suspect. Last month, Memphis Fire Chief Gina Sweat described the interior of the church as “a total loss.”
On Wednesday, the fire department released images of the person they’re looking for but provided no additional information.
Authorities have offered a $11,000 cash reward for information about the massive blaze.
The fire department announced on May 14 that the building had been stabilized, and investigators would use specialized equipment to determine the cause of the fire.
The Clayborn Temple, located just south of the iconic Beale Street, was built in 1892 as the Second Presbyterian Church and served an all-White congregation. In 1949, the structure was sold to an African Methodist Episcopal congregation and given its current name.
Prior to the fire, the Romanesque revival church was undergoing a $25 million restoration project to preserve its architectural and historical integrity, including the revival of a 3,000-pipe grand organ. The project also aims to revitalize the neighborhood through a museum, cultural programming, and community outreach.
