Ricci said that after the fire was put out, an investigator was called to the scene, and “based on the preliminary investigation, the fire appears to be an intentional act.”
On early Tuesday morning, a pile of redwood siding and insulation sat adjacent to the damage, which constituted a relatively small corner of the church’s alcove. No other materials were present.
The well-known church was built in downtown Santa Rosa from a single redwood tree, 18 feet in diameter, milled in Guerneville more than 150 years ago.
It served as the First Baptist Church for nearly 100 years before being repurposed as a memorial museum honoring Robert Ripley, a Santa Rosa native. He featured the church in one of his earliest versions of “Believe it or Not!” because his mother attended its services.
