A historic Memphis church with ties to Martin Luther King, Jr. has suffered devastating damage after an early-morning fire engulfed the building. Clayborn Temple had been undergoing a $25 million restoration project when a fire broke out early Monday. “This morning we woke up to heartbreaking news: a devastating fire has ravaged one of our city’s greatest treasures, Clayborn Temple. Clayborn is more than a historic building,” Memphis Mayor Paul Young wrote on social media. “It is sacred ground. It is the beating heart of the civil rights movement, a symbol of struggle, hope, and triumph that belongs not just to Memphis but to the world.” Architects and supporters intend to continue with the building’s restoration.

MLK Jr. came to the church in 1968 to support the city’s sanitation workers who were seeking to strike against unsafe conditions. Two men had been previously crushed in a trash compactor in 1964, with the equipment never being replaced. In 1968, two more men,

Echol Cole, 36, and Robert Walker, 30, were crushed in the compactor. The two workers were contract workers and therefore ineligible for workmen’s compensation and they did not have any life insurance. The city had some 1,300 sanitation workers at the time, with the majority being black. The city declared unionizing illegal, leading the arrests of multiple workers. On March 28, 1968, King led a march from the church to city hall. Marchers retreated back to the church after they were attacked by police and counter protesters, with some of the church’s stained glass being broken out as marchers tried to escape tear gas. King had plans for a second protest but was assassinated soon after on April 4. The workers later obtained a pay raise after King’s death and the church would eventually fall into disrepair before revitalization efforts began.

“The inside is a total loss, but we’re still somewhat hopeful that some of the facade will be able to be left standing,” Memphis Fire Chief Gina Sweat said at a news conference. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating the fire, stating it is “too early” to know much about what started the fire. Martin Luther King III responded to news of the fire, saying he and his wife were “deeply saddened.” “The flames that consumed Clayborn Temple cannot erase its legacy as sacred ground. We honor its history and we are committed to supporting efforts to rebuild this cornerstone of the civil rights movement.”