Church Fire Ruled Arson

PHILADELPHIA - July 10, 2006 -- A fire that burned an historic church in Northeast Philadelphia Sunday is now a case of arson.

It has been an historic landmark here since the mid 1800's; a beautiful French gothic revival chapel that now lies in ruins despite years of efforts to save it.

Flames leaped into the night sky late Saturday night, chewing through the roof and leaving utter destruction behind.

It was known as the Eden Hill Chapel once part of an elite girls boarding school run by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart.

The Friends of Fluehr Park have been trying to save the chapel for years. It is part of the Fairmount Park system and is owned by the City.

But, no more.

The ornately decorated building may have finally been dealt a deathblow by an arsonist.

Volunteers have put in countless hours trying to save it, boarding up windows, repairing the roof and holding fundraisers.

The chapel is the last of what had been a much larger complex on the site. Those historic buildings were also lost to fire in 1979. They've tried to keep the vandals out, but it's been a losing battle.

At this point it would take millions to restore the chapel. A joint arson task force is now investigating.

(Copyright 2006 by 6abc and Action News. All rights reserved.)

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