A church on the National Register of Historic Places in Mammoth Cave National Park has been vandalized.
Park officials are investigating vandalism at Mammoth Cave Baptist Church, on Flint Ridge Road. Vandals painted the exterior and interior walls, and benches and windows with orange spray paint sometime Saturday night after 10:00. Park officials estimate repairing the damage will cost between $10,000 and $15,000.
“We are truly saddened that such an important structure in the park has been damaged in this way,” park superintendent Barclay Trimble said. “The Mammoth Cave Baptist Church is one of only three historic churches that remain from a time before Mammoth Cave National Park was established. These structures serve as an important connection for the individuals and families who once lived, worked, and worshiped on this land. To see this meaningful building defaced is a crime against the park as well as to our neighboring communities.”
The church was established in 1827, with members moving into the current building in 1927 after the original church was destroyed by a tornado. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
Anyone with information on this crime is asked to contact Mammoth Cave National Park at 270-758-2115.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
