Fire damages historic building at St. Matthew’s Cathedral campus in Old East Dallas

A fireplace considerably broken a historic constructing that’s a part of the St. Matthew’s Cathedral campus in Previous East Dallas early Wednesday, in line with the chief of the Episcopal church.

The Rev. Robert Value, dean of St. Matthew’s Cathedral, mentioned the blaze broken Garrett Corridor, which serves as an workplace constructing for the ability.

Earlier than it closed in 1930, the construction was a dormitory for St. Mary’s School at Dallas, a post-secondary college for girls, in line with the church’s web site. The Texas State Historic Affiliation web site states that Woman Hen Johnson, the spouse of President Lyndon B. Johnson, attended the faculty.

Though the hearth affected all three flooring of Garrett Corridor, Value mentioned, essentially the most important harm was accomplished to the inside of the primary ground. The constructing is structurally sound, Value mentioned, including that the primary cathedral, inbuilt 1908, was not broken by the hearth.

“We’ve begun the method of remediation and restoration of the constructing to its full usefulness to the parish and neighborhood,” Value mentioned.

Shortly earlier than 3 a.m., fireplace crews responded to the hearth on the church facility within the 5100 block of Ross Avenue, in line with Dallas Fireplace-Rescue.

The fireplace was put out inside an hour of emergency crews arriving, however a firefighter was injured after the blaze was extinguished, mentioned Jason Evans, a Dallas Fireplace-Rescue spokesman.

No particulars had been offered relating to the reason for the firefighter’s accidents, however Evans mentioned the firefighter had been discharged from a medical facility as of Wednesday morning.

The cathedral had been present process renovation work, however the reason for the hearth has not been decided, Evans mentioned.

Due to the renovation work, Value mentioned, all historic artifacts and paperwork that had been housed within the workplace constructing had been moved out of the construction.

“We’re very blessed to not have misplaced something of serious historic worth,” he mentioned.

Value mentioned he has knowledgeable parish members in regards to the fireplace and mentioned his prayers are with the firefighter who was injured.

“We’re reminded ever extra forcefully that the church is a individuals, not a spot, and that after we are trustworthy to one another in love and repair, particularly in instances of struggling and grief, we mirror the faithfulness of God in Jesus Messiah to the world,” he wrote in his e mail to the congregation.