Fire destroys historic downtown Indianapolis church on Christmas Eve

Early on Christmas Eve, units from the Indianapolis Fire Department rushed into the city hoping to contain a fire that broke out in the Sanctuary at Penn, a historic church in Indianapolis.

Around 5:30 a.m., dispatch began receiving reports of a fire breaking out at Sanctuary on Penn, near the intersection of North Pennsylvania Street and East Walnut Street.

At 7 o’clock the firefighters were still fighting a few of the small flames that appeared inside and near the cross on the outside of the church.

A large part of the building’s roof had fallen due to flames. The front doors of the church were broken and succumbed to the flames and water pressure. Almost all the stained glass windows depicting the story of Christ were gone from the church grounds.