Calais garners support to save historic firehouse

CALAIS – The building may be more than 130 years old, but a major face-lift could breathe new life into the former St. Croix No. 1 Fire House.

Last week more than 50 people braved slippery roads and snow to attend a public hearing, and on Thursday night they rose one after another in support of the city’s effort to win a $100,000 Community Development Block Grant. The CDBG application is due Jan. 12. The meeting was held in the old firehouse.

The city’s fire association two years ago kicked off a fundraising effort to turn the aging building into a community hall and fire museum.

To date, the association has raised more than $23,000, but more money is needed. Mary Barnard, co-chairwoman of the fundraising committee, said her small group had raised about $1,000 a month to help save the building.

“For this community to raise … $1,000 a month really shows they are putting their best foot forward,” she said.

Built in 1874, the building most recently has been home to the Happy Gang senior citizens group. Over the years, the group has used the building to hold meetings and social events. Recently, the group turned the building over to the city.

Dick Barnard, who has been the engine behind the restoration project and a member of the fire association, praised the efforts of the senior citizens.

“While they had possession of this building, they put a roof on it … and they also did the bricks on the front of the building,” he said, noting that both projects were costly.

The red brick building on Church Street next to the City Building has a rich history, but even with the efforts of the senior citizens, most recently it has fallen into disrepair.

City-hired engineers estimate it will cost around $132,500 to fix the building.

The engineers’ report suggests the building needs a lot of work, including fixing a water leak near the base of the hose tower on the first floor, improving the foundation drain system to decrease water in the basement, fixing structural deficiencies in flooring and roofing systems, and repairing masonry deterioration around the windows.

In addition to its historical importance, the 4,250-square-foot building currently offers the largest handicapped-access public meeting room of its kind in the downtown area.

“With further restoration, the firehouse can once again serve as a permanent dedicated space to an active senior citizens group, as a community center for celebrations and community programs such as low-income heat assistance applications, and as an essential spillover site for public meetings at next-door Calais City Hall when crowds of 50 to 100-plus turn out,” city officials said in a prepared statement. “On the drawing board, the fire association dreams of one day establishing a firefighters museum on the premises.”

Al Churchill, president of the St. Croix Historical Society, said his group “strongly” supported the project. “Calais has only two uniquely historical municipal buildings in town. One is the library, which is a beautiful old building, and the other is this one, and it would be a real tragedy to lose this building,” he said.

He said the building was one of the most photographed buildings in Calais. The front of the building can be found on hundreds of old postcards.

Churchill said he hopes those in Augusta who will be reviewing the applications will give serious consideration to Calais’ request. “It is important to save our building because this is our heritage,” he said.

Bill Cassidy, president of Washington County Community College, joined Churchill in support of the building. “We wholeheartedly recognize the work that has been done,” he said. “I thank all of you.”

Ted Carter, who lives in Alexander, said saving the building was not just a Calais issue. “It is an historical building, and it does need to be preserved not only for its historic [value] but for what it can offer to the community as we grow and develop and move forward,” he said.

He added that he hoped the CDBG would be a first in many grants to renovate the building. “This is not just a Calais issue, this is an eastern Washington County issue, and that is why I am involved with it,” Carter said.