NEW YORK (AP) — It is unclear whether a bell that rang to mark the birth of the United States in 1776 survived a fire that gutted the historic New York City church where it hangs.
The Middle Collegiate Church in Manhattan's East Village burned before dawn Saturday as fire spread from an adjacent building.
The cause is being investigated, and four firefighters had minor injuries.
The church was built in 1892 and is home to a congregation that dates to the 1620s.
The Rev. Jacqueline J. Lewis says that the fate of the building and the bell are unclear but that the ministry will continue.
