Historic Missouri Church-Turned-Skate Park Burns Down in St. Louis: 'This Is Not The End'

After an abandoned church was converted into a skate park named Sk8 Liborius, ramps, rails and a half pipe were installed, but the unique architecture remained

Skateboarders have always been innovative — and whether they choose to show it through fashion, art or DIY-skate builds — they have continuously evolved. That same innovation is what made skateboarders and supporters in St. Louis, Mo., turn an abandoned and historic church into an indoor skate park. Late Wednesday night, the beloved church-turned-skatepark went up in flames.

For the city of St. Louis and visitors who traveled far and wide to see the historic building as a skate park, the crumbled remains of what once was a Catholic church is a shocking sight to see. The church — once named St. Liborius — stood tall with the St. Louis landscape in the background since the 1800s. After it became an indoor skate park — and was renamed Sk8 Liborius – ramps, rails and a half pipe replaced the pews and altar, but the unique architecture remained.

The Gothic Revival church was built in 1889 by New York architect William Shickel. Close to a century later, in 1975, it was deemed a City Landmark. Four years later, in 1979, it found its well-deserved place on the National Register of Historic Places, and at that time, the Archdiocese of St. Louis still owned the building, according to its nomination form.

In 1992, the church ceased operation and the building was abandoned until skateboarders took matters into their own hands years later.

Dave Blum, Bryan Bedwell and Joss Hay bought the building and spearheaded its revival more than 10 years ago, St. Louis Magazine reported. In the early days, the men would hold benefit concerts, art shows and volunteer days to raise money to restore the church while introducing people to their new endeavor. They also launched a nonprofit, Liborius Urban Art Studios, and a GoFundMe that helped raise funds to keep the building in shape.

Late on Wednesday, the St. Louis Fire Department responded to a four-alarm fire at the church, where more than 100 firefighters, paramedics and EMTs responded, the department said. No injuries were reported, but the firefighters battled with the growing fire for hours, and the building — along with everything inside of it — was destroyed. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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In a post on the Sk8 Liborius Instagram page, a video of the destruction was shared. "I have no words," the caption reads. "Only thanks. Thanks for everything. Everyone. This is not the end. We love you St. Louis."

Offers of help and condolences flooded the comment section, along with people giving ideas about where the crew could possibly pivot next. One commenter wrote in part: "Crazy idea, what if you cleaned it up, made sure the walls were structurally sound, and built a concrete skatepark in the area and considered it an outdoor park within the existing remains of the church?"

Before the fire in 2022, the owners of the building spoke with local news outlets about the space and why they decided to revamp the old church in St. Louis.

“I think we’re showing that you can reclaim old buildings and turn them into really positive spaces,” Hay told KSDK-5 in 2022.

"We want to make a safe and productive place for kids in St. Louis to find their passions and explore them,” Blum told Fox 2 News last year.

Follow Sk8 Liborius on Facebook and Instagram for updates on where to donate or volunteer, or sign up for its newsletter here.

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