A historic Black Concord church is seeing new life again after a fire destroyed it 27 years ago, reports KYW via CNN Newsource.

The Spring Valley African Methodist Episcopal Church on Spring Valley Road in Concord Township was once the center of the Black community.

“People came from Chester, Media, Kennett Square, Oxford, just to worship at Spring Valley,” said Pandora Anderson.

She was a regular attendee herself, along with her daughter and mother, until the family moved to Chester County.

The church was abandoned over time by a shrinking congregation; then, in 1997, arson destroyed the building.

Concord Township bought the land and worked for years to find money to restore the church.

Now they’ve done it.  There’s a new parking lot, new windows, refurbished hardwood floors and pews, and a new roof.

“It’s really, really, really a wonderful thing to happen,” Anderson said. “Unbelievable.”

Concord Township Council Co-Vice President John Gillespie would like to see the church turned into a museum.

“A museum of some sort to display some of the African-American artifacts,” he said. “Maybe a program with a local school district to bring the children in.”

Get a closer look at the refurbished historic Black Concord church at WITN..