A historic church in lower Manhattan that houses New York's Liberty Bell and whose congregation dates to the city's earliest days has been gutted by a massive fire.

The Middle Collegiate Church in the East Village burned before dawn after a fire spread from a five-storey vacant building adjacent to the church at around 5am.

Flames shot from the roof and the church's stately front window glowed from the conflagration inside.

Rev Jacqueline J Lewis said: "We are devastated. We are gutted like our building is gutted; our hearts are crushed like our doors are crushed.

"But we know how to be the church, and we know that God is God, yesterday, today and tomorrow."

City council member Carlina Rivera tweeted that no injuries were reported.

Built in 1892, the church is home to the oldest congregation of the Collegiate Churches of New York, which date back to the Dutch settlement of the island in the 1620s, according to the church's website.

The Middle Collegiate Church had been in two other locations in Manhattan since 1729.

The bell tower houses New York's Liberty Bell, which pealed to mark the birth of the nation in 1776 and has since been rung for the inaugurations and deaths of American presidents and events such as remembrance of the September 11 attacks.

Ms Lewis believed the bell survived the fire, but was not certain.

Church minister Amanda Ashcraft told broadcaster WABC that the Tiffany stained glass windows were gone.

The fate of the church building is unclear, Ms Lewis said, but the ministry will continue.

"Our church has been worshipping digitally since March 15," Ms Lewis said. "And that's what we'll be doing tomorrow."