Fire Station pre-1895

Sometime after 1895 a south wing was added (right in photo)

Photo taken in summer 2006

Fire Station #2

In a letter dated Dec. 20, 2005 addressed to PCHS President Tim Siebert, Mary Ann Laszewski included a copy of a letter she had sent to Stevens Point Mayor Gary Wescott asking if the Southside Fire Station could be saved rather then demolished or sold off. This began a flurry of letter writing and inquires that resulted in the Historical Society being sold the building in March 2006 for $1.00.

Thus the oldest surviving municipal building in Stevens Point was saved! The Fire Station, designated number 2, was build in 1885 to serve the railroad and business districts in the southern part of the city. Cosmetic restoration will begin as soon as an assessment of its condition can be made. The museum will be the first secular museum of PCHS's in the city (the other PCHS museum is the Synagogue.) 

The Stevens Point Fire Department was a volunteer outfit when the station was built. It initially housed a horse-drawn steam engine dubbed the "General Ellis"

In early 1860 the city ordered a hand pumper, a second-hand piece of equipment that was Chicago's first piece of fire equipment, known as Fire King No. 1. This is now housed in the Chicago Historical Society Museum.

A target date for opening this museum is 2008. Several local organizations have expressed an interest in displaying their fire equipment along with the Society's material.