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The Coliseum Baptist Church as it burned early Thursday. Photo by Steve Majors.
Sirens wailing throughout our house at 2 a.m. Flashing lights flickering across the bedroom ceiling. My oldest daughter crying herself awake. It's only three weeks into our year-long stint here in New Orleans, and for the first time, we're scared. Our first instinct was that perhaps it was crime; another murder or shooting that have brought national attention and the National Guard to this city. It actually was something potentially more dangerous to us: A fire, a massive one.
It was the Baptist Church just steps from our home, in leafy Coliseum Park. And burning embers were raining down on the neighborhood.
I joined hundreds of people in the park, watching flames engulf the towering church. It was built in 1854 and locals remember it took a big hit from Hurricane Betsy in 1965. It had been vacant for some time, but it was still a beautiful old church and something that seemed old, solid and immovable. After all, it still stood despite more than 150 years of storms, and a neighborhood that had probably seen several cycles of economic ruin and rebound. The church being there gave the park and the neighborhood a sense of time-tested strength.
As we watched the flames and smoke leap higher, I looked around the park and saw familiar faces. In less than a month, my family and I are on chatting or at least "how ya'll doin'" acquaintance with a lot of people.
It struck me that the destruction of Coliseum Baptist Church had ironically brought my neighbors together in mourning. I hadn't been here for Katrina, but I could imagine this was in some minor, minor way the same kind of feeling they felt after the storm as they saw familiar parts of the city, landmarks, and favorite haunts destroyed.
The next morning, I took my daughters for their daily walk around the park. I wanted to see how they'd react to the black scar in the middle of their green park. "Uh-oh" is all my two-year-old kept exclaiming. I said, "yes, uh-oh." And I said a silent prayer that this year, they and New Orleanians wouldn't have to say goodbye to any more of this city.
Read more from NBC's Gulf Coast recovery files, Steve Majors
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I am a life long resident of New Orleans. One day I happened to make a wrong turn and discovered Coliseum Square, which I had never been through. Since then I have driven by the church many times, always full of hope that one day the church would be returned to its former glory. Unfortunately I will never be able to go inside of the church now. Does anyone have any pictures of the interior of the church? I would be very grateful if someone did.
Daniel Nettles (Sent Nov 15, 2006 6:19:19 PM)
My heart cried when I leaned that my home church had to be torn down completely. How I wish they could have saved the walls and rebuilt to benefit the neighborhood. Coliseum Church was once called the "Light House of Downtown New Orleans."
My mother enrolled me the nursery - that was 77 years ago. I still have my certificate that was given each child.
My first voice solo was sung over the WNOE station. I believe the church had a 99 year contract with the station.
I met my husband and was married in the beautiful auditorium by Dr. T.J. Delaughter. I could tell so much about the auditorium - the organ, the miranda, the choir, etc., but that would take to much space.
My husband is a retired SBC minister and we live in a little town of Silverhill, AL - across the bay from Mobile.
Wanda Murfin (Sent Jul 8, 2006 11:46:04 PM)
I wept as I read and looked at the pictures. I live now in Kentucky but my nursing school days after college in the 1950's were at what was then Baptist Hospital and I met my husband at Coliseum Baptist Church. There are many, many happy memories of that church and the people who were members. Some came to the ship when we sailed for Liberia in 1964 for almost 30 years of missionary service. My husband died last year and I'm rather glad he did not see the fate of that church building that meant so much to him.
Pat Bellinger, Louisville, KY (Sent Jul 8, 2006 9:59:05 AM)
Please, Please help us. We love our city. And we are not going to give up. But we do need help. This is our home.
(Sent Jun 25, 2006 11:34:30 PM)
Please don't look upon your stint as a death sentence--the story of New Orleans cries out to be heard. that is quite a powerful story about the Coliseum Baptist Church's destruction by fire. New Orleans and her people do deserve our prayers that they don't lose any more landmarks or favorite haunts.
Like several who have already posted, I wish there could be more positive news out of New Orleans--only because it would show how she is recovering. (In fact, I thought your piece about the Sno-Balls was basically positive) but unfortunately reality lately seems to be otherwise.
I wonder if the church could have been saved had New Orleans's fire department and water system been up to snuff. According to an op-ed piece in yeaterday's Times-Picayune, not only is the fire department badly depleted, the city is suffering from the worst drought in 111 years. Also, some areas of New Orleans have little or no water pressure. Due to leaks, about 85 million gallons of water are being lost per day. So the fire fighting problem is esepcially serious--in a 48-hour period last week, there were 8 major fires.
On top of all this is another planned FEMA atrocity--it is planning to withdraw the 2 helicopters which are being used to carry water from the Mississippi river to fire scenes.
As long as New Orleans continues to be very short on or lack such basic services as an effective fire department and a functional water system, I fear more negative news such as that church fire will come out of that beleaguered city.
Please continue drawing attention to the situation in New Orleans. For example, perhaps if NBC Nightly were to cover New Orleans' decimated fire department and highlight the fact that FEMA plans to cut and run regarding its badly-needed helicopters, maybe it will change its plans. The news may be negative, but the rest of the country should be made aware that New Orleans is still a long way from full recovery and needs help. And when New Orleans is fully recovered, that's when we'll be hearing the positive news so many want to hear.
Olivia Elizabeth Burdon, Peoria, Ill. (Sent Jun 23, 2006 8:00:45 AM)
Unlike Ms. Prinz, I don't view your "stint" as a death sentence, but as an assignment. Welcome to our city. Your report on the Coliseum Baptist Church, a building long vacant, rather quaint in a neighborhood that is undergoing a revival thanks to gentrification, stood there as a silent witness to the socioeconomic turmoils of New Orleans. Hard to believe that the same leafy park where you walked with your daughters was at one time a section to be avoided, full of vagrants, derelicts, drug addicts and an assortment of unsavory characters. Thank you for writing a sensitive piece. I always like to look at New Orleans through the eyes of the outsiders; we take too much for granted until it is destroyed, sometimes savagely and suddenly; sometimes systematicaaly.
(Sent Jun 22, 2006 4:45:27 PM)
I agree with Nancy. You do make it sound like a death sentance. I believe in Brian's post after this that you chose to relocate. Find something positive to report. I lived in NOLA for 5 years and recloated back to Seattle for a job. I plan to visit the city next week for the first time since the hurricanes. I have many friends still there. Locals that love the city and want to see it re-build. Steve's posts are always so negative. I know there are other items to report. I plan to see the positive aspect when I am there next week.
(Sent Jun 22, 2006 4:43:54 PM)
I heard last night that 17,000 downtown buildings were destroyed in the Chicago fire, before the turn of the 20th Century. If Chicago could re-build itself into the magnificent city it is today, blacks and whites side by side, through world wars and depressions, I think New Orleans can do it too. But, for the first time, people will have to work together and put aside their own selfish interests and temptation for personal financial gain. New Orleans has not really been a beautiful city in a long time. Let's face up to it. But, it has the potential to be. THe foundation is there.
New Orleans is my hometown. But, being honest, it had a lot of things that needed fixing, even before Katrina.
Ron Johnson, Philadelphia
ronjonson@gmail.com (Sent Jun 22, 2006 4:30:55 PM)
Perhaps the brick ruins could be stablized and made into some kind of memorial or monument...
John Morrow, Spokane, Wash. (Sent Jun 22, 2006 4:24:15 PM)
Please try to write some more positive stories for us. They are out there. It seems that the national press dwells on the negative. You are here for your stint(you make it sound like a death sentance) and so I guess you must have to produce a story a day.
Read your story again and look for the negative angle. I got a call today from DC saying that the press is killing us. YOU can make a difference here for your year. Look for the positive. Thanks
Nancy Prinz, Metairie, LA (Sent Jun 22, 2006 3:31:43 PM)
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