Early on Monday morning, the historic Clayborn Temple in downtown Memphis, a site associated with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights movement, caught fire.
The church fire at the intersection of Hernando Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, just a short distance from FedEx Forum, was reported just after 1:30 a.m.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. traveled to Memphis in 1968 as part of a march for the rights of sanitation workers that began at Clayborn Temple. There, the march’s recognizable “I Am A Man” signs were printed.
The cause of the fire is being looked into by the ATF and the Memphis Fire Department.
The structure dates back to 1892, when it was first known as Second Presbyterian Church.
