Watts De Peyster Fireman's Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Watts De Peyster Fireman's Hall
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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North (front) facade, 2019
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| Location | Tivoli, NY |
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| Nearest city | Kingston |
| Built | 1898 |
| Architect | Michael O'Connor |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 89002005 |
| Added to NRHP | November 16, 1989 |
The Watts De Peyster Fireman's Hall is a special building in Tivoli, New York. It was built in 1898 by a rich local resident named John Watts De Peyster. He paid for it and gave it to the village to be a fire station.
This building was designed like a "storefront" firehouse. This style was more common in big cities back then. It was unusual for a small village like Tivoli to have one.
After a new fire station was built in 1986, this old hall became the village office. In 1989, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site in the United States. A few years later, it also became part of the Hudson River Historic District. This district is a National Historic Landmark, which is an even higher honor.
A Look at History
Tivoli became an official village in 1872. This happened after it grew a lot because of trade along the Hudson River. Two smaller areas, Upper Red Hook Landing and Madalin, joined together to form the new village.
Soon after Tivoli became a village, leaders started talking about needing a new fire station. These talks went on for 25 years! During this time, Tivoli's importance for trade started to slow down.
In 1896, the village decided to create a fire department. They also planned an election to figure out how to pay for a new building. But two years later, John Watts De Peyster stepped in. He was a wealthy resident and the village president. He also knew a lot about fighting fires. He hired a local architect, Michael O'Connor, to design the new firehouse. Once it was built, he let the village use it.
In 1900, Mr. De Peyster had a disagreement with the village about taxes. He even stopped the village board from meeting in the hall. He also threatened to close the firehouse if his son, who was elected village president, was allowed inside.
When Mr. De Peyster died in 1907, the right to use the building went to an orphanage he had started. This continued until 1921. Then, his family bought the right to use the building from the orphanage. They then gave the building to the village as a gift.
Since 1986, the building has been used for the Tivoli Village Offices. It also houses the Tivoli Free Library. Part of it is also the Tivoli Bays Visitor Center. The building was fixed up and improved in 1994.
Building Features
The firehouse is a three-story building. It has three sections across the front and four sections deep. It sits on a half-acre piece of land in downtown Tivoli. The outside is made of brick. It has different colored stone lines at each floor level.
The roof is made of slate and slopes downwards on all sides. It has a small window that sticks out from the roof. There are also four chimneys and a round tower on one corner.
On the front of the building, the first floor has two large openings. These used to be for fire trucks. Now, they have wooden doors. There is also a regular entrance door between them. Above these doors, there are stone blocks carved with oak leaves. Oak leaves are a traditional symbol for firefighters. A special stone on the building shows the architect's name, the builder's name, and the year it was built. There is also a marble plaque honoring Watts and De Peyster.
Inside, the first floor has two big areas. These were originally for the fire engines. The walls are smooth, and the lower part of the walls has wood panels. The ceilings are made of pressed tin, and the floors are wooden planks.
The second floor was used for meetings. It has similar decorations. It also has thin metal columns in its largest room. All the rooms still have their original carved fireplaces. The third floor is one large room. It has two big wooden supports holding up the ceiling.
There is also a small garage building next to the main hall. It was built in the mid-1900s. It is not considered as important historically as the main building.
Tivoli Bays Visitor Center
The Tivoli Bays Visitor Center is located inside the Watts de Peyster Fireman's Hall. Tivoli Bays is a special area of coastal wetlands. It is part of the Hudson River Reserve.
The Visitor Center has an exhibit called Doorway to the Bays. This exhibit helps people learn about the Tivoli Bays area. You can find the Visitor Center on Kidd Lane on the map of the Tivoli Bays unit. A nature trail starts behind the building and leads to a place where you can launch a canoe.
