Why Should Delaware Care?
The Mother African Union Church is one of the oldest Black-founded congregations in United States, serving as a refuge for generations of people. In May, a fire destroyed the church building and officials are still investigating its cause.
In May, Wilmington’s Black community was hit with devastating news about a fire that destroyed the historic Mother African Union Church.
Almost three months later, Wilmington Fire Marshal Deputy Chief Andre Cooper said the cause of the blaze, which sent flames towering 40 feet above the church, is still “undetermined.” He also said the investigation will remain open indefinitely.
Cooper declined to comment further when pressed about why the investigation was taking so long, and whether officials had ruled out any potential causes.
He said he needed to protect the integrity of the case.
While the length of the investigation might frustrate members of the community, one fire expert said it is not uncommon.
University of Maryland professor Jim Milke told Spotlight Delaware that an “undetermined” status at this stage in a fire investigation can be expected, especially when access to the physical area of the blaze has been limited.
“That makes it difficult to inspect the detailed area to see what equipment was in the area or identify if any accelerants were used to start the fire,” said Milke, a professor with the Department of Fire Protection Engineering.
What is known is that shortly after the fire, Wilmington’s Land Use and Planning Department worked with an engineer to assess the structural stability of the building. The analysis ultimately determined that the site was too unstable for fire marshals to enter safely, said Elliott Larkin, director of the city’s Land Use and Planning Department.
Larkin noted that investigators could use an unmanned assessment via drones, but he did not indicate whether one had occurred.
“Due to the assessed instability and the water level within the basement, firefighters/officials would not enter the site physically, and an unmanned assessment, if possible, would be used instead,” Larkin said.
Ultimately, the church structure that remained after the fire, including its trusses and stone walls, was demolished.
While officials have not pointed to a cause of the fire, they took to Facebook in June to refute rumors that had been circulating about it, noting that “any information being disseminated on social media is false.”
Among the rumors circulating at that time was that an e-bike had caught fire inside, while others reported hearing a loud boom. Neither has been substantiated by city officials.
During an interview Wednesday, the Rev. Ronald Whitaker, senior pastor at the historic church, says he is excited that officials have not yet closed the investigation yet, but noted he understands the cause may not be found because of the magnitude of the fire.
“When you have a devastating fire like we had, that is maybe the case where you’ll never know,” he said.
Whitaker also said that an insurance company is conducting its own parallel investigation into the fire.
North Franklin Street still home
A day after the May 17 fire, church leaders, congregants, and city and state officials gathered to mourn the loss of the church, which stood as the physical space for one of Delaware’s oldest Black-founded congregations.
During a press conference, Wilmington Fire Chief John Looney said fire investigations of this significance “could take a couple weeks.” At the time, the engineer’s structural assessment had not been completed, Looney said.
Also during the press conference, church leaders vowed to rebuild. In response, several elected officials pledged support, including New Castle County Executive Marcus Henry who said he would provide public dollars for the effort.
Separately, a GoFundMe set up for the church’s restoration has raised almost $24,000.
Whitaker said he and his team plan to rebuild in the same location.
“As far as I’m concerned, 812 North Franklin Street is still the Mother African Union Church home,” he said.
The congregation preserves its legacy
The news that the cause is undetermined comes amid the congregation’s annual August Quarterly festival, an event that was started by the founder of the church, Peter Spencer, two centuries ago. It celebrates the church’s founding and African American religious freedom in the United States.
The event spans through the last week of August, with church officials and other community members hosting events throughout Wilmington.
Whitaker says the church will continue to spearhead that event, saying its significance is at an “all-time high.”
“We’re not going to let what happened on May the 17th be the end of our story. In many ways, it’s a comment to what our ‘next’ is,” he said.
After the fire, Whitaker said the church continued to hold its services at the Congo Legacy Center. He also noted that the congregation will soon announce its next space for church services.
Also debuting recently at the Delaware Historical Society is an exhibit entitled “Ancestral Dream, Living Blueprint.” The exhibit showcases the Mother African Union Church’s history and legacy through archival documents and interactive displays.
The display was originally designed to be placed in the church prior to the fire. The church had been working on the exhibit for the past three years, Whitaker said. The exhibition will be on display in the Mitchell Center Theater in the museum, located at 504 N. Market St. in Wilmington, until Oct. 17.
