A historic church in Cleveland has been destroyed after a major fire tore through the vacant building early Friday morning.

The former Friendship Baptist church, located at East 55th Street and Central Avenue on Cleveland’s east side, was fully engulfed in flames at about 2:00 AM, local time.

The blaze sent large pieces of wood and roofing into the air, while the building’s windows were blown out and its roof eventually collapsed.

Firefighters were forced to move their trucks back during their initial response because of the intensity of the heat and flames, according to FOX 8.

FOX 8 reported that the church had been closed and vacant for several years. The historic building was originally constructed as a Jewish synagogue in 1896 before later becoming a Christian Baptist church.

Architectural Afterlife describes the building as once being an important centre of religion and culture in the surrounding neighbourhood.

Friendship Baptist reportedly had about 1,000 members at its peak during the 1950s and 1960s, but membership had fallen to around 40 by 2014.

Police have responded to break-ins and vandalism at the vacant property over the years.

Authorities have not yet determined what caused the fire, and an investigation is expected to establish how the blaze began.