New Orleans, La. -
Hurricane Katrina shuttered an historic Central City church. Now, thieves have taken pieces of its past.
Pews from the old Wesley Methodist Church on Jackson Avenue are gone, a blow that church leaders never anticipated.
"This dates back to the 1800's. The congregation dates back to 1838," said pastor Martha Orthe.
It takes a few minutes for her to loosen the chains around the door. It took a lifetime to build the history there.
"Some of the many protests that started in the 60's and earlier were held right here in this church," Orthe said. "So many people came through like Louis Armstrong. This is a gathering place."
Katrina's wind and water damaged the building to the point of closure. But nature is not the latest culprit at this church.
"There were pews in here, more than 50 pews in here and as you can see today, there's not one pew in here... they took all of the pews," she said.
She says officers from NOPD's 6th District are looking for the thieves now. Witnesses say the pews may have been stolen Thanksgiving week. They ripped off a door downstairs in the back area of the church."
The simple wooden pews with side carvings are more than just seating. They may have been the most valuable pieces left in the church.
"We still working on the value but it could be $300 a pew or even more. We worked on the pews and refurbished the pews," Orthe said.
Antique dealers on Magazine Street say there is a market for religious artifacts such as pews, and those stolen from the church may end up at auction.
Tim Jones is a manager at Wirthmore Antiques. "Just looking at the pictures of them, they probably are made of cypress," he told us. "They probably are made of cypress from that time and probably crafted in Louisiana. That makes them more valuable."
As for the thieves, Orthe says they'll be punished one way or another.
"Neighborhood folks say they're not going to get their blessings because of this theft," Orthe said.
