Historic Detroit church ravaged by fire to host final service tonight

First Unitarian
All photos by Steve Neavling

Dozens of people are expected to converge this evening on the fire-ravaged remains of the First Unitarian Church of Detroit for a candlelight vigil and nondenominational ceremony.

The group, Preservation Detroit, is organizing a final service at the site on Woodward near downtown.

Investigators believe the 124-year-old church was intentionally ignited shortly before 6:30 a.m. May 10.

The quick-moving fire was bursting out of the roof and every window when firefighters arrived.
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Suspicion fell almost immediately on the church’s owner, Salim Kemenko, a property speculator who has owned the building – and property next to it – since August 2006. His desire has been to bulldoze the Romanesque Revival building but has been prohibited from doing so because of federal and local historic protections.

The church is a block north of the new Red Wings arena and entertainment district that is being built between Midtown and downtown.

The fire department, which is so overwhelmed that it can only investigate one of every five arsons, has declined to provide on updates of the investigation.

Click here to see a photo gallery of the ferocious fire.

Check out video of the blaze as firefighters arrive. 

Steve Neavling

Steve Neavling lives and works in Detroit as an investigative journalist. His stories have uncovered corruption, led to arrests and reforms and prompted FBI investigations.