Firehouse Is Now A Senior Center - Reading, MA - Converted Firehouses on Waymarking.com

The Reading Municipal Building is a Renaissance style structure designed by Horace G. Wadlin and completed in 1883. It initially served as a firehouse, offices space for town selectmen, a fire-proof vault for important town documents and a lock-up for the Police Department. The initial cost of the building was $3,800. The building looks much as it does today with three great arched doorways taking up the major part of the front side.

In 1918 town offices relocated to the present Town Hall on Lowell Street. The Fire and Police Departments continued to share space until 1930 when the police moved to their new building directly behind the fire house on Pleasant Street. In 1970, the Fire Department moved their administrative offices and communications department to the Woburn Street fire station and in 1990 the fire department completely vacated the building after 107 years.

The Reading Historical Commission then led the effort to restore the fire station. The building is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was nominated as an Endangered Property to the Architectural Conservation Trust (ACT) for Massachusetts in 1990. The Division of Elder Services received a $750,000 grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Community Development to convert the central fire station into a permanent Senior Center for the town and the senior center opened in 1993.

Current Use: Senior Center Year Originally Built: 1883 Year Retired: 1990 Is it open to the public?: Yes Location: Reading, MA

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