Partial bell tower collapse closes North Arch Street in Lewisburg

A partial bell tower collapse closed North Arch Street in Milton and blocked the block between Broadway Street and Walnut Street, turning a quiet downtown stretch into a safety scene. Officials said no one was hurt, but the road remained shut while crews and borough officials dealt with the damaged church structure.

WNEP reported on May 9, 2026 that part of an old church had collapsed and North Arch Street was closed. By May 11, the street was still closed after the church steeple collapse, and officials still did not have a reopening date.

Local coverage identified the building in different ways, including as the former St. John’s church and the Citadel of Hope Church. The collapse involved the church’s bell tower, which raised immediate concern about loose masonry, falling debris and whether more of the structure could fail if people were allowed too close.

The response also moved beyond traffic control and into the question of who would pay to stabilize the site. A Standard-Journal search result said the church building with the collapsing bell tower was not insured. Another search result said a search warrant gave Milton Borough officials access to the church, and a separate result said Milton Borough allocated $220,000 to address the collapsing bell tower.

For Milton, the closure meant more than an inconvenience on one street. North Arch Street between Broadway and Walnut sits in a part of town where older buildings and tight blocks make every shutdown more disruptive for residents, businesses and emergency access. The long closure also underscored how quickly a single structural failure can spread into public works, inspection and preservation decisions.

The episode fits a broader challenge for older downtowns across Union County, where aging churches and public-facing buildings often sit close to sidewalks, storefronts and narrow roadways. In places such as Milton and Lewisburg, where historic character is part of the streetscape, a collapse can force officials to balance immediate safety with the larger cost of repairing or stabilizing structures that have already outlived their original construction assumptions.