Fire That Ravaged Historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis Confirmed as Arson

Firefighters douse the historic Clayborn Temple, a landmark from the civil rights movement with ties to Martin Luther King Jr., with water after it caught fire, April 28, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn.

Memphis, TN — A fire that severely damaged the iconic Clayborn Temple, a historic Black church deeply tied to the civil rights movement and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1968 Memphis visit, was intentionally set, according to findings released by the Memphis Fire Department on Wednesday.

The blaze broke out in the early morning hours of April 28, engulfing the church’s interior and leaving behind significant destruction. Fire officials confirmed that the fire originated inside the building and was determined to be an act of arson. Investigators are currently searching for a suspect in connection with the incident.

Clayborn Temple, located just south of Beale Street in downtown Memphis, was in the midst of a $25 million restoration project aimed at preserving its Romanesque Revival architecture and rich historical legacy. Once home to the powerful "I AM A MAN" movement, the church was being revitalized to include a museum, cultural programming, and community outreach initiatives. The fire halted progress on the project after approximately $8 million had already been invested, with the exterior having been fully restored prior to the blaze.

The historic Clayborn Temple, a landmark from the civil rights movement with ties to Martin Luther King Jr., caught fire, April 28, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn.

Originally built in 1892 as the Second Presbyterian Church for a white congregation, the building was sold to the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1949 and renamed Clayborn Temple. It became a vital organizing center for the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers’ strike, where over 1,300 predominantly Black workers demanded better pay and safer conditions after two men, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were crushed in a garbage compactor on February 1 of that year. The workers, who were contractors without benefits or life insurance, became symbols of the larger civil rights struggle.

Clayborn Temple hosted nightly meetings during the strike and produced the now-famous “I AM A MAN” posters in its basement. It also served as the starting point for marches to City Hall, including the March 28 demonstration led by Dr. King that turned violent after clashes between police and protesters. Police later fired tear gas into the church, forcing people to break stained-glass windows to escape. Dr. King vowed to return and lead a peaceful march but was assassinated on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel.

Firefighters gather outside the historic Clayborn Temple, a landmark from the civil rights movement with ties to Martin Luther King Jr., after it caught fire, April 28, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn.

Following the strike's resolution and King’s assassination, Clayborn Temple’s prominence declined, and it fell into disrepair until a revitalization initiative began in 2017, supported by a $400,000 grant from the National Park Service. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and the adjacent “I AM A MAN Plaza” memorial opened in 2018, honoring the sanitation workers with their names inscribed on a wall.

Historic Clayborn Temple Executive Director Anasa Troutman expressed heartbreak over the fire, calling it “an act of violence” but affirming that it “will not break our spirit.” Troutman revealed that while the church's iconic grand organ had been safely removed before the fire, two chimneys had to be demolished to allow Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigators to safely examine the scene.

She also described the emotional aftermath of the fire, noting that as the flames consumed the church, people gathered silently at the “I AM A MAN” memorial. “I watched that wall turn into the Wailing Wall, because people were literally getting out of their cars, walking up to that wall and wailing, staring at the building on fire,” she said.

As the investigation continues, the Clayborn Temple community remains committed to rebuilding and preserving the legacy of one of Memphis’ most sacred civil rights landmarks.