Shoring up the fire-damaged Middle Collegiate Church on 2nd Avenue

Workers last week erected scaffolding inside the fire-damaged Middle Collegiate Church on Second Avenue and Seventh Street.

A church rep told us that they are "finishing stabilizing the remaining façade, weatherproofing bricks that were never exposed to the elements before — that kind of thing." They are hoping to have this work done before the end of the year.

Last Dec. 5, a fire destroyed the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street, including Middle Collegiate Church. The fire spared the steeple and its historic contents — the New York Liberty Bell, which dates to the early 1700s. The bell is for now housed at the New York Historical Society. 

The FDNY previously said that faulty wiring at 48 E. Seventh St. was to blame for the six-alarm fire. An FDNY spokesperson told 1010 WINS that the fire had been deemed "non-suspicious." No. 48 was demolished. (More background here.) 

Middle Collegiate Church is currently raising funds to help rebuild the sanctuary (link here).

In an outdoor service in early October, Middle Collegiate welcomed back churchgoers for the first time in 10 months.