PAWTUCKET - Several people were injured when a 10' x 10' piece of celiling collapsed in the basement of a church hall next to the Park Place Congregational Church, 72 Park Place, on Tuesday around 8:35 p.m. Fire and rescue personnel from Warwick, North Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Cumberland and Lincoln were called to the scene and four victims were transported to Rhode Island Hospital for neck and back trauma injuries, and another victim was transported to Memorial Hospital with lacerations and a broken ankle. None of the injuries are considered life-threatening. There were reportedly 20-25 people meeting in the basement at the time, including Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon groups. A building inspector is on the scene. The church has been a downtown landmark since its founding in 1882. Log onto www.pawtuckettimes.com for updates.

December 31, 2008

Dear Arthur and friends,

Hopefully, the structure of the Park Place Congregational Church is sound.  If not, the Christian Community Soup Kitchen ,hosted at the church every Saturday at 4 p.m., will have to find new quarters. 

Worse yet, the 40 congregants of the church would have to find a new home.

What is really scary is the timing of the ceiling collapse, on a Tuesday night .  Fortunately for rescue personnel,  the crowd was smaller. Had the ceiling  fallen on a Saturday afternoon, about 60 Pawtucket and Central Falls hungry clients and 10 servers would have been injured.  Especially horrific would have been the effects on the several children who eat there.

By the way, according to a church history written by Pastor Mitchell in 1982,  Park Place Congregational was originally built in 1882.  However, a fire during the Great Depression destroyed the original church.  A second structure, the one which exists today, was built in 1936, just south of the original Park Place site.

Hopefully, all works out well for the wonderful congregation. 

Peace,

Jim

Dear Arthur and friends,

About the ceiling collapse at Park Place Congregational Church on 12/3:

Effect:  A 20 by 20 section of ceiling collapses in the basement:

Cause:  Due to the closing of the Pawtucket River Bridge to truck traffic on Route 95 to 18 ton or more vehicles, the rerouted truck traffic causes the  Park Place Congregational Church to weaken and collapse the ceiling in the basement.

Is this a possibility?  Please explain.

Peace,

Jim  

That sounds like a good possibility...but even old buildings have their problems..but knowing the quality of the Congregational Church, I can't imagine they left things in limbo. It is a wonderful resource and am sure we will all rise to the occasion of supporting other supporting organizations pitching in for a community resource in different areas.

It is always amazing to see the many little miracles that happen even in a tragedy.