This handsome limestone structure trimmed with decorative pressed metal was built to house the “Hook and Ladder Company '' (the volunteer fire department formed in 1884+ and to provide space for municipal operations. The building was constructed in an “L” plan around the town’s old metal standpipe which rose 100 feet and held the city’s water supply. The perimeter of the standpipe can be seen beneath the original fire bell, part of a special pocket park.
Additional Information:
By 1900, the building had space for the “City Calaboose” or jail, water works, plumber shop and
City Hall on the second floor. Note the bars on the west windows. The fire alarm bell cast in St.
Louis, Missouri, was hung in 1885 and then moved several times before it was replaced by an
electric siren in the 1920s.
Fun Facts:
1. A steel tower was erected on the roof for the fire bell after 1897 and the iron stairway was installed on the south side of the east wing before 1905, which was replaced by a concrete stairway during the 1930s.
2. The standpipe was dismantled and removed in the early 1960s. The area was converted to parking.
