Flames tore through Mt. Gilboa African Methodist Episcopal Church on Monday, choking the small Catonsville chapel in heavy smoke and leaving its 1859 stone sanctuary badly damaged. Firefighters pushed into the thick haze to protect the historic worship space and its basement-level meeting rooms, and crews had the main body of the blaze knocked down within about an hour, according to WMAR2 News. No injuries were reported.
County officials and response
Baltimore County Fire officials said the fire moved through the first and second floors of the church before crews brought it under control and confirmed that no one was hurt, according to a post from the Baltimore County Fire Department on X. The department’s post included photos of firefighters on the scene as they worked to save as much of the structure as possible. Investigators have not yet released a cause.
Historic significance
Mt. Gilboa’s roots run deep in Baltimore County history. The church dates to 1859 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, according to Maryland’s historic-property registry. The registry notes that the current stone sanctuary replaced an earlier log chapel on the site, and that Benjamin Banneker is said to have worshipped there.
The congregation describes itself as the oldest active African American church in Baltimore County on its history page. The church’s pastor page notes that Rev. Garland D. Owens was appointed to lead the congregation in July 2020.
What’s next for the congregation
County investigators have not released a cause for the fire, and officials have not yet outlined a recovery plan for the damaged sanctuary, according to The Baltimore Banner. Local coverage noted that assessments of the structure are ongoing as investigators continue to study the scene, WMAR reported.
