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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
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March 2005 |
Former Seelyville church gutted by fire
SEELYVILLE, Ind. - The town of Seelyville awoke the morning of Feb. 15 to the sounds of sirens and billows of smoke coming from the center of town. Word quickly spread that the United Methodist Church was on fire, and within 15 minutes of the first alarm, the phone was ringing at the parsonage.
A quick look out the parsonage windows assured Pastor Steven Bahrt that what he was toldwas not completely correct. A farther look to the west though spoke volumes - the former Methodist church building on Main Street was ablaze and already a total loss.
The blazing building had housed the Seelyville Methodist Church from 1904 until 1962, when the congregation moved into its larger building two blocks east on Second Street. Afterward, the building housed two other church congregations before being sold to a private individual. The old church building housed a building remodeling contractor's offices at the time of the fire.
While members of Seelyville UMC were glad to hear it was not their current building that was destroyed, there were bittersweet memories tied to the news. Several current members were married in the old church building, and many were baptized as children there. Pictures of the congregation in the 1940s and 1950s in front of the old building adorn the library walls in the new building.
Margaret Manus, 75 and a life-long member of the congregation since, says she was heartbroken by the fire, but admitted that the poor condition of the building reflected poorly on the congregation still associated by many with the old building.
"Maybe now people will finally look at who we are instead of at our old building," said Manus.
While no one was injured in the blaze, the building and its contents are a total loss. According to press reports, occupants of the old building may have been using it as a place to make illegal drugs.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008