Enormous Gallergy of Photos - Before and After the Fire. With its church devastated by fire, Trinity Lutheran considers the future | The Milwaukee Independent

 Historic Trinity Lutheran Church, LCMS, Milwaukee

With its church devastated by fire, Trinity Lutheran considers the future | The Milwaukee Independent:



"WITH ITS CHURCH DEVASTATED BY FIRE, TRINITY LUTHERAN CONSIDERS THE FUTURE"

Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles, as news of the disaster spread across social media in realtime. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded by immigrants from Pomerania, Germany in 1847. Originally located on 4th Street between Wells Street and Kilbourn Avenue, the Victorian Gothic building was constructed on the corner of West Highland Avenue and North 9th Street in 1878.

“It is an absolute loss for Trinity Lutheran Church and our congregation,” said Reverend Jonah Burakowski. “But at the same time, it is just a building. No one died and that is the most important thing.

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Heating tools on scaffolding may have ignited roof of Milwaukee church

A heating tool left on the scaffolding may have caused this disaster.

Heating tools on scaffolding may have ignited roof of Milwaukee church:



"The blaze that destroyed Milwaukee's historic Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church may have been started by heating tools that had been placed on adjacent scaffolding and ignited the roof, a Milwaukee Fire Department official said Wednesday.

Milwaukee Deputy Fire Chief Dave Votsis said that was the working theory. But Fire Chief Mark Rohlfing stressed at a news conference later that the investigation is ongoing.

"We know there were roofers here, and they had equipment. And we know it started in the roof," Rohlfing said. Investigators have yet to conclusively link the fire to the roof work, he said.

Fire officials on Wednesday estimated damage to the structure at $13 million, and an additional $4 million in damage to its contents."

 Trinity Lutheran Church, downtown Milwaukee

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Pastor of sister church blocks from Trinity Lutheran: ‘Any of these churches are a spark away from a fire’ | FOX6Now.com

Pastor of sister church blocks from Trinity Lutheran: ‘Any of these churches are a spark away from a fire’ | FOX6Now.com:



"St. John’s on the Hillside Lutheran Church

When you take a look at the crawl spaces at St. John’s on the Hillside Lutheran Church near 8th and Vliet in Milwaukee, you can understand how the Trinity Lutheran Church went up in flames so quickly.


Pastor William Schaefer

“Any of these churches are a spark away from a fire,” said Pastor William Schaefer.

Pastor William said his congregation formed just a year after Trinity.

“It’s just about six blocks as the crow flies,” said Pastor Schaefer.

Once known as the “City of Steeples,” Milwaukee has lost part of its skyline after Tuesday’s fire.

“Broke my heart. Honestly — it’s like my sister losing a home,” said Pastor Schaefer."

 Church and Change or Die! rules.

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GJ - I get all busted up when Team Jeske steals a congregation and its endowment fund, using those funds to pay the lawyer for the theft. But that's just me - I'm sentimental.

 I knew about it before the theft took place.

Massive fire causes $17M damage to Trinity Lutheran Church; ‘Nonetheless, the building is still standing’ | FOX6Now.com

 The building itself was saved and some contents.
The main tower is 200 feet high.

Massive fire causes $17M damage to Trinity Lutheran Church; ‘Nonetheless, the building is still standing’ | FOX6Now.com:

 When they opened the doors after the fire was out,
the picture of Jesus was the first thing they saw.

"Chief Mark Rohlfing said at a news conference the fire caused an estimated $17 million in damage — $13 million to the building itself and another $4 million to the contents within the building. Rohlfing said the fire started on the roof — which was under construction at the time. There are reports heating tools caused the fire, but Rohlfing indicated the cause of the fire remains under investigation."

...

Reverend Jonah Burakowski of Trinity Lutheran Church indicated the congregation is committed to restoring or rebuilding the church at the same corner.

Reverend Jonah Burakowski

“It is an absolute loss for Trinity Lutheran Church and the congregation that gathers here, but at the same time, the building is just one piece of the ministry puzzle,” Rev. Burakowski said.

Burakowski said the building may look marginally or substantially different from what it used to — depending on how things work out.

“Nonetheless, the building is still standing,” Rev. Burakowski said. “It is a testament to those who built the building 140 something odd years ago, but more so to the fire department that came in and were able to address the fire really early, to prevent fire from getting behind the brick or into the brick and causing the walls to collapse.”

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Hot spots reported Wednesday morning at historic Milwaukee church gutted by fire

Hot spots reported Wednesday morning at historic Milwaukee church gutted by fire:



"MILWAUKEE —
Hot spots were reported early Wednesday morning at a church near 9th Street and Highland Avenue in downtown Milwaukee, approximately 10 hours after a massive fire broke out.

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, the oldest Lutheran church in Milwaukee and the second-oldest Missouri Synod Congregation in Wisconsin, was reduced to a shell after being engulfed by flames "

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Note - Historic St. John Lutheran Church Is Just North Of - Across 145 - Historic Trinity Lutheran LCMS, Milwaukee

 WELS kicked Historic St. John Lutheran Church out of the synod over an act of petty vandalism. Under Mirthless Mark Schroeder, they stole it back - with the endowment. The last I heard, they still had two members.

 We can give you a deal on the rental fees.

 St. John is possibly more beautiful than Trinity was.

Mark and Avoid Jeske wanted to buy this altar at one time, long ago, when he was high church instead of clown church.

Photos of Historic Trinity Lutheran Church, LCMS - Before the May 15, 2018 Fire

Initial reports of the May 15, 2018 fire can be found here.

 A description of the Trinity Lutheran Church Buidling is here.

 The organ is irreplacable. Congregational website.

 Wikipedia article and links.

Fire breaks out at downtown Milwaukee church - TMJ4 Milwaukee, WI

Fire breaks out at downtown Milwaukee church - TMJ4 Milwaukee, WI:

 Trinity is the mother church of Lutheranism in Milwaukee, its congregation having been organized in 1847. Ceremonies on July 7, 1878, marked the laying of the cornerstone, and Trinity Lutheran was consecrated April 11, 1880. Cost of the church, including all furnishings, glass, and organ, was $43,500.

Trinity Church is a highly decorative and vigorous example of the Victorian Gothic style. The interior is notable for the broad spaciousness of its vaulted auditorium and for the extraordinarily fine craftsmanship of its wooden trim, fittings, and furnishings. Particularly remarkable are the sweeping staircase in the north tower, the organ casing, the lofty, canopied pulpit, the altarpiece, and the doors.

"Crews were called out to 1046 N. 9th Street, which is Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church.

• Chopper 4 Video: Spire Collapses During Downtown Church Fire"

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Follow Up

"We did have one when they were remodeling this building right there -- it did go to a third alarm. I did talk to (the City of Milwaukee's Department of Neighborhood Services) who handled building inspection and spoke to the pastor of the church -- so the church is fully remodeled three or four years ago. Whenever you have a large wooden structure and fire, that's always a concern," said Smith.

Smith said it's too early to say where the fire started. He said the initial call was for a fire on the roof at 3:45 p.m.

Smith said firefighters weren't going inside "for safety and the fear of collapse."

"We're gonna fight this fire from the exterior before we even attempt to get in the building," said Smith.

There was no damage to any other buildings, and no other businesses had to be shut down, but fire personnel were stationed at some surrounding businesses out of precaution.

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated State Historic Site. The building was declared a Milwaukee landmark in 1967, a State Historical Landmark in 1979 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.