ST. LOUIS — A historic church in north St. Louis is set to be demolished after it was engulfed by a three-alarm fire last week, the third fire to happen at the vacant building since 2022.
The St. Louis Fire Department responded last Monday to a fire at the former St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church, located at 3114 Lismore St. in the St. Louis Place neighborhood. Flames reached as high as the tip of the 250-foot steeple.
The building was designated as a St. Louis City Landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1980s.
The church was constructed in 1896 by St. Louis architect Louis Wessbecher for St. Augustine's Roman Catholic parish. It was purchased by Christ Baptist Church in 1982.
The property is now owned by the Land Reutilization Authority.
Spokesperson Sara Freetly confirmed Monday that demolition was deemed necessary after a structural assessment.
"Current efforts are underway to eliminate hazards and ensure the site is safe for the public," Freetly said.
Before the city owned it, Brittany Breeden and her husband tried to restore the church, calling it "Project Augustine." Plans quickly fizzled in 2020 when they couldn't receive enough donations for restoration.
A timeline for the demolition had not been announced.