Historic New York church housing Liberty Bell gutted by massive fire

• Middle Collegiate Church in East Village built in 1892
• Bell that rang for independence in 1776 believed to survive

A historic church in lower Manhattan that houses New York's Liberty Bell and whose congregation dates to the city's earliest days was gutted early on Saturday by a massive fire that sent flames shooting through the roof.

The Middle Collegiate Church in the East Village burned before dawn after a fire spread from an adjacent five-story vacant building at around 5am. Flames shot from the roof and the church's stately front window glowed from the blaze inside.