CLARKSVILLE, Ill. (WTWO/WAWV)– A church near Clarksville was the target of an alleged vandalism incident on Sunday.
The church located at Green Moss Cemetery had multiple windows broken and significant damage to its doors, including one torn off its hinges. Law enforcement was called to the scene Sunday morning by someone visiting the property.
Robert Montgomery, a trustee for the cemetery, said he was upset when he saw the scene firsthand.
“Obviously, it was heartbreaking to me,” he said. “My grandparents are buried here and my parents are buried here as well as a younger sister. This church has meaning to many people in the area. They have loved ones buried here.”
Montgomery said they had been working over the past 24 hours to clean up the building, and he is targeting spring for repairs.
“We decided that the best thing we would do right now is try to close the door to prevent another entry and keep people safe while we clean up the glass. We’re going to board up the windows for the winter, and we’ll take a look then to see what our rebuilding program will be,” he said.
Several people had reached out to offer additional help.
Clarksville Baptist Church has offered to help in any way they can. When I was coming back to work on the church [Sunday night,] there was a man walking by to visit the church, and he just handed me a cash donation of $100 right then for repair, and he said this church had meant something to him,” Montgomery said.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation is ongoing.
