Stoneham Firestation facts for kids
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Stoneham Firestation
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Stoneham Fire Station
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Central and Emerson Sts., Stoneham, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1916 |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| Part of | Central Square Historic District (ID89002277) |
| MPS | Stoneham MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 84002831 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 13, 1984 |
| Designated CP | January 17, 1990 |
The Stoneham Firestation is a really old and important building in Stoneham, Massachusetts. It's located right in the middle of town, at Central and Emerson Streets. This cool building was built a long time ago, in 1916, and it's still used today as the main fire station for Stoneham!
It was designed in a style called Renaissance Revival. This means it looks like buildings from the Italian Renaissance period, which was hundreds of years ago. The fire station is so special that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. This list includes important historical places across the United States.
What Makes the Fire Station Special?
The Stoneham Firestation is easy to spot in Stoneham's main business area. It's shaped like the letter "L" and is made of brick. The building has two floors and a flat roof. You can't see the roof from the ground because it has a low wall around it, called a parapet.
The Tall Tower
The most amazing part of the building is its four-story tower. This tower looks like the old towers you might see in Italy. It's called a Tuscan tower. The tower has narrow windows on the third floor. Above these windows, there's fancy decoration called a cornice.
The top part of the tower is open. It has arched openings on each side. These arches are held up by square pillars at the corners. The very top of the tower has a gently sloped tile roof. This roof also has a decorated edge called a dentillated cornice.
Why a Tower?
The fire station was built in 1916. Back then, fire stations needed a tall tower. This tower was used to hang and dry the long fire hoses after they were used. Drying the hoses properly helped them last longer.
Today, the Stoneham Firestation still works as the town's central fire station. It has three large bays at the front where the fire trucks are kept. There are also offices in the back part of the building. Even though we don't know who designed it, this building is one of the best examples of Renaissance Revival style in Stoneham.
