Former church that touched many lives in Durham burns down: 'Bunch of memories'

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- A vacant church in Durham went up in flames on Thursday morning.

The former church building is currently owned by the Durham Rescue Mission. The agency's CEO tells ABC11 that they had plans to use the building for their training center.

"We wanted to develop a training center for our program now on this property," Durham Rescue Mission CEO Rob Tart said.

The building was once a house of worship to churches such as Peace Missionary Baptist Church and Liberty Baptist Church which has a photo of the original building in 1939 is displayed at its current location on Guess Road.

Dedra Hines stopped by and watched the building she once attended when it was Peace Missionary Baptist Church burned to the ground. She also grabbed some digital memories and called her mom.

"When I saw the smoke and the firefighters, I just started taking pictures and texting my mom and my sister because this is where we grew up. So it's just sad to see," Hines said.

Although the building has been vacant for several years, Hines says it still holds a special place in the community.

"I was in the choir, and we won our big competition. We took pictures right there on that, on those steps."

Reverend Rob Tart issued this statement after learning of the fire Thursday morning: "I'm deeply grateful that no one was injured in the recent church fire. The dormitories at the Durham Rescue Mission, which were affected by the fire, sustained only minor damage, and thankfully, no one will be displaced as a result of the incident. This incident has not deterred anyone from seeking assistance and shelter at the Mission."

The cause of the fire has not been released. No one was injured.