Millions of dollars still needed to restore Trinity Lutheran Church 5 years after fire

MILWAUKEE (CBS58) -- Almost five years after a fire caused millions of dollars in damage to one Milwaukee church, the restoration process has hit a bump.

"Within moments, it was engulfed, and the fire department was here right away. However, it was devastating because it was all virgin timber, and the wood went up like a tinder box," Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Pastor M. Douglas Peters said of the fire that left the 145-year-old building as just a shell of what it once was in May of 2018.

"For everything, including the pipe organ, is going to require another $5 million," he said.

Peters tells CBS 58 their restoration budget is running low due to inflation and the pandemic prolonging the project. According to Peters, the scaffolding that covers the building from top to bottom is a money eater. However, they need it to continue the restoration process.

"But, in order for us to get the scaffolding out, we need to complete the ceiling but also the walls," Peters said. "We're out of funding once we complete the ceiling painting and will have to raise money to complete the walls with the plaster, as with the paint."

They have made great strides over the last few years and have completed all of the structural work while keeping the original design of the building.

"The structure itself is the same. We followed the same ribbing, barrels, all of that is the same. The only thing different is the paint scheme," he said.

To complete the restoration, the church is asking the community to donate.

"In Milwaukee, we're in desperate need of places that carry mercy and compassion and love, and that's why we're building this building- yes, it's a building- and it's beautiful, but it's about serving each other with our Lord's gifts," Peters said.

If you're interested in donating, you can direct your gift to a specific part of the restoration, like the pipe organ, the steeple, or the stained-glass windows.

To donate, visit trinitymilwaukee.org, call 414-271-2219, or drop off your donation at the church at 1026 N. 9th Street in downtown Milwaukee.