Elm Street Fire House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Elm Street Fire House
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 24 Elm St., Southbridge, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Built | 1899 |
| Architect | Clemence, George H. |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| MPS | Southbridge MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000530 |
| Added to NRHP | June 22, 1989 |
The Elm Street Fire House is a cool old building in Southbridge, Massachusetts. It's a historic fire station that was built way back in 1899. This building was the second fire station built in Southbridge during the 1890s. It even serves as the main headquarters for the fire department today! It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, which means it's a really important historical site.
What Does the Elm Street Fire House Look Like?
The Elm Street Fire House is on the west side of Elm Street. It's close to Main Street and the main part of Southbridge. It's a two-story building made of brick. It has a sloped roof and a tall tower on its northeast corner. This tower was used to hang and dry fire hoses!
The building looks like a mix of different old styles. The tower has rounded windows. It also has a fancy, pointed roof. The ground floor has big archways for fire trucks. The second floor has rounded and rectangular windows. All these windows have special "keystones" above them. There are also cool arched windows in the main roof. A smaller part of the building was added later. This part has more bays for fire trucks.
A Look Back: The History of Firefighting in Southbridge
Firefighting in Southbridge started a long time ago. The first fire engine was owned by the Hamilton Woolen Mill Company. This was a very important business in the town. In 1832, Southbridge got its own fire engine. They also created a team of volunteers to fight fires.
The first fire station was built in 1860. The fire department was officially started in 1880. In the 1890s, water was brought to fire hydrants around the city. Two new fire stations were built in the 1890s. The Globe Village Fire House was built in 1894. The Elm Street Fire House was built five years later, in 1899.
Who Designed the Fire House?
The Elm Street Fire House was designed by an architect named George H. Clemence. He was from Worcester, Massachusetts. George Clemence had designed other fire stations in Worcester before this one. He was also known for other designs in Southbridge. He even had an office in Southbridge for a while. However, most of his famous work is in Worcester.
