A fire late Wednesday gutted the SK8 Liborius Social Club, formerly the historic St. Liborious Catholic Church, in north St. Louis.
Drone footage on Thursday morning from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch showed the blaze destroyed everything inside, leaving only the walls standing.
No injuries were reported, but the burning embers ignited fires on several other nearby buildings.
A fire captain at the scene said the fire started in the rectory and spread throughout. The cause remains unknown.
The St. Louis Fire Department posted a short video of the fire:
.@CFDstlfd has requested a 3rd Alarm with a 4th Alarm to follow immediately after; also requesting to mutual aid Hook & Ladders to protect #STLCity.
— St. Louis Fire Dept (@STLFireDept) June 29, 2023
Over 100 #firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, and Command Staff Officers on scene.
Operations are exterior outside the collapse zone. pic.twitter.com/JiH7Bapx6u
More images from the fire:
Finally, a post from SK8 Liborius Social Club:
St. Liborius Catholic Church was closed and deconsecrated more than 30 years ago due to declining attendance.
The church, located one block from the City 66 alignment, was built in 1889 to serve the community of German immigrants. The church was declared a city landmark in 1975 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Dave Blum, along with co-owners Brian Bedwell and Joss Hay, about 10 years ago acquired the property and made some needed repairs to the structure.
The main worship area was converted into a skate park, including a 40-foot ramp, and graffiti art. The owners wanted to convert the rest of the church complex into an art center, bed-and-breakfast and a community “maker space” run by Liborius Urban Arts Studios.
Here’s a documentary about the project:
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