The St. Louis skateboarding community is mourning the destruction of Sk8 Liborius, a local historical church-turned-skatepark that caught fire on the evening of Wednesday, June 28, and was left in ruins by the next morning. In photos published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that show the Thursday aftermath of the four-alarm fire, the transformed church that has been a local community center for Missouri skaters, artists, and musicians since 2012 appeared to be reduced to piles of rubble and smoldering planks of wood fenced in by the church’s burnt brick exterior.
The St. Louis Fire Department confirmed to Hyperallergic that no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson stated to news outlets that the dry, hot weather conditions allowed the flames to spread.
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Authorities responded to calls about a fire at the skatepark on the corner of Hogan Street and North Market Street at 10:45pm on Wednesday, according to reports from officials. By the time firefighters arrived on the scene, the two-story Gothic Revival church was displaying signs of “heavy fire from the rear” of the building. Authorities evacuated the area around the church when the blaze rapidly progressed to the structure’s roof.
The flames expanded into the building’s adjacent church, climbing up the smaller structure’s walls and spreading through its ceiling and steeple and requiring the attention of more than 100 firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, and other emergency responders on site. Officials have not reported any extensive damage to any of the nearby homes.
“This is not the end. We love you St. Louis,” staff members of the skate club posted on Instagram. In the comments alongside condolences, fans of the skate park were quick to begin suggesting plans to revive the community hub into an outdoor space within the remaining walls of the church.
A fundraiser started in support of Sk8 Liborius has so far brought in $65,000 of its $500,000 goal. Hyperallergic has contacted the directors of Sk8 Liborius for more information.
By Thursday morning, images of the wrecked 132-year-old German church and rectory showed firefighters still spraying the smoking site with water. The church was initially established during the 1850s by the influx of German immigrants who settled in the Midwestern city. The building itself was erected in 1889, and remained open until 1992 when the city’s declining Catholic population forced the establishment to close.
After briefly serving as a community women’s shelter, the structure was handed over to community resident David Blum, who helped transform the site into a skatepark alongside co-organizers Bryan Bedwell and Joss Hay in a two-year renovation project.
The skate center began hosting underground events in 2014 to help fund the park and bring Blum’s, Bedwell’s, and Hay’s vision for the center’s Liborius Urban Art Studios to life. The trio officially registered the organization as a 501(c)3 nonprofit in 2016, and the center has been operating since as a skate park, art, music, and education center that offers “people of all ages and backgrounds the chance to improve themselves and our community through new skills, vocations, and art.”
“I am trying to find the words for the last 24 hours,” Madelyn Suzanne, a member of the Sk8 Liborius community, wrote in an Instagram post sharing photos of the damage.
“This place is so full. Memories, laughter, sadness, joy, creative energy, community, and love. It was a home for many. It was a haven for anyone that came. It was a space to truly be free,” she continued. “I am devastated. I am thankful. I am honored to have been a part of it and to be a key holder for the past few year.”
Source: Hyperallergic.com