The first section of Fire Station #3, no longer with us, was a wood framed building erected in 1894. An addition was made to the rear, this time built of brick, in 1912 and, in 1917, the wooden front section was torn down and a brick building was constructed in its place, attached to the 1912 section. Since that time very little change has occurred on the station's exterior.
While Station No. 3 survived downsizing of the department at the start of the Great Depression, it was finally retired in 1991. It became a commercial building and is today the home of Spokane Public Radio, who renovated the station in 2014 and moved in shortly thereafter.
Wiki tells us that "It broadcasts at 91.1 MHz with an ERP of 56,000 watts and is one of three stations operated by Spokane Public Radio. KSFC and KPBZ are the others. Through seven full-power repeaters and six translators, it reaches 70,000 listeners in eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, northern Idaho, western Montana and southern British Columbia.".
A bit of the station's history follows.
Spokane Public Radio
SPR traces its roots to the early 1970s on the South Hill. Make that "in" the South Hill: in the basement of a residence belonging to George and Susie Cole. An electrical pole -- donated quietly by someone with the power company -- stood in the backyard supporting a hoop-shaped antenna for the 10-watt transmitter, the size of a two-drawer file cabinet. From 5 p.m.-1 a.m. each night, radios seven miles around could catch the sounds of classical, jazz, folk, soul, big band, and whatever else a volunteer felt like playing. When the Coles moved in 1974, they put the station in the hands of David Schoengold.
In an effort to expand KPBX, Schoengold first moved the station into the group of eclectic Downtown businesses known as Second City. Then in the latter '70s, the operation went off the air as the Spokane Public Broadcasting Association made its plans for a 'Cadillac' station.
Spokane Public Radio began broadcasting from the historic Fire Station No. 3 in time for its 36th Anniversary, January 20, 2016. The new building has doubled working space and tripled SPR's production capacity. The organization will now begin making plans for growth in the news, arts coverage, and local programming.
From Spokane Public Radio
