Olivia Mitchell

cleveland.com

(TNS)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - A 19-year-old Lakewood man has been arrested and accused of setting fire to a historic Cleveland church, a blaze that caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.

John McManamon was issued a $10,000 bond Wednesday in Cleveland Municipal Court on an arson charge stemming from a Friday fire at the former Friendship Baptist Church around East 55th Street and Central Avenue.

According to an arrest warrant, McManamon and two other people entered the vacant church and “utilized available combustibles” to start a fire inside the building. Authorities did not indicate whether the other two suspects have been arrested.

Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set, Cleveland Division of Fire officials previously said.

The warrant says investigators learned the three suspects were engaged in urban exploring, a practice commonly referred to as “urbex” that involves entering abandoned or vacant buildings to explore them. The activity has gained popularity on social media, including TikTok, where participants sometimes document their explorations for online audiences.

The suspects fled after the fire began, according to the warrant.

The blaze broke out shortly before 2 a.m. Friday and brought about 67 firefighters and 14 companies to the scene. Flames damaged much of the historic structure, blowing out windows and causing the roof to collapse, officials said.

Firefighters remained at the scene for hours Friday battling the fire and extinguishing hot spots.

McManamon’s arrest comes after fire investigators spent several days working to determine how the blaze started and identify those responsible. On Tuesday, Cleveland fire spokesman Lt. Mike Norman said investigators were making progress and working to obtain arrest warrants.

Norman also said they did not believe the fire was connected to an attempt to collect insurance money or acquire the property.

The building dates to 1894 and originally was known as Temple Tifereth Israel, according to city records. It later became home to a Baptist congregation around 1940.

The church also has a place in Cleveland’s civil rights history, having served as a gathering place for those in the movement.

In 1953, the church hosted performances by Bobby Womack and the Soul Stirrers, the gospel group that at one point featured Sam Cooke.

The building was designed by Cleveland architectural firm Lehman & Schmitt, whose work also includes the Cuyahoga County Courthouse.

©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit cleveland.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.