‘It hurts my heart to see’: Historic Black church in Catonsville damaged by fire

Shortly after fire swept through one of Baltimore County’s oldest Black churches Monday, some congregants gathered outside, snapping photos with their phones and peering at the damage through shattered windows.

Across the street, Carolyn Leigh placed her arm around fellow church member Betty Stewart, 79.

“Our church is gone?” Leigh asked.

“It’s very bad,” Stewart said.” I don’t see anything worth saving.”

Baltimore County firefighters responded Monday morning to a blaze that consumed the first and second floors of Mt. Gilboa African Methodist Episcopal Church in Catonsville, the Fire Department said in a social media post.

At least seven fire trucks crowded the historic Oella neighborhood, which is lined with stone buildings, as crews fought the fire. No injuries were reported, and the department says the fire was brought under control by early Monday afternoon.

The fire was accidental and caused by an electrical malfunction in the church ceiling, Andrew Laird, a spokesperson for the Baltimore County Fire Department, said in an email.

Jay Patel, owner of Jay’s Country Corner Store at the corner of Westchester and Oella avenues, noticed smoke pouring from the church’s windows and front door around 11:45 am. He called 911 and alerted church members that the building was on fire.

After the fire was extinguished, a faint smell of smoke lingered as some Mt. Gilboa congregants watched firefighters examine what remained of their church. Firefighters with flashlights surveyed the debris-strewn interior.

According to the church’s website, the small stone structure was built in 1830 by free Black people to replace an earlier log chapel and dedicated in 1859. The presence of a Mt. Gilboa Chapel is recorded as far back as 1799.

Mt. Gilboa describes itself as “the oldest active African-American church in Baltimore County.”

The lower level once served as a one-room school, the church’s website says, and Benjamin Banneker, a free Black mathematician and astronomer in the 19th century, is said to have worshipped there.

Leigh said she and her family have attended the church for 50 years.

“It hurts my heart to see,” Leigh said. “It’s still standing, praise the Lord.”

In 1976, Mt. Gilboa was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Rev. Garland D. Owens, who arrived on the scene around 2 p.m. to assess the damage Monday, has led the church since 2020.

Stewart said 30 to 40 people attend the church. As Owens stood at the church doors, Stewart walked up to the reverend with her cane and placed her hand on his shoulder.

“It’ll be OK,” she said.

A previous version of the article quoted a merchant as saying he observed electrical work being done on the church last week. The church said in a statement that no electrical work was performed in the weeks leading up to the fire.