Fire burns historic Middleborough church

Central Congregational Church, a 161-year-old church in Middleborough was damaged in a four-alarm fire yesterday. From the story in today's Globe:

"Hundreds of residents who had gathered early for the town's Memorial Day parade, which was canceled, watched from Town Hall across the street as the fire raged. Veterans of past wars in crisp uniforms mingled with children clutching flags in the silent gathering.

'I just can't believe it,' whispered Ronald Matthews, a Vietnam War veteran who served as a Marine sergeant and wore military dress and rows of gleaming medals. Like so many others, Matthews planned to ride in yesterday's parade.

'My daughter was married in that church,' Matthews said, as his wife, Joyce, held his arm.

Fire officials continued to investigate the cause of the blaze late yesterday afternoon, but they said it did not appear to be suspicious.

...The fire appears to have begun in a back kitchen and traveled up a wall and into the steeple, Benjamino said. Fire officials determined that much of the church's interior was a loss, but firefighters were able to retrieve a large cross from the altar, a candelabra, Bibles, and dozens of paintings, pictures, and other religious items.

Benjamino estimated the cost of the damage in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, but he said town building inspectors have determined much of the church 'structurally sound at this time, from the basement to the eaves.'"

(Photos by George Rizer, Globe staff. A full photo gallery of the Middleborough church fire is here.)