In 1912 the fast growing little town of Carmangay, recently filled with wood framed buildings, immediately saw the need for a fire brigade and a fire hall to house fire fighting equipment, such as it was in 1912. The town's residents, never ones to let moss accumulate on them, decided one day in September that the time had come to build that fire hall. As a result, this building, now known as the
Carmangay Historical Fire hall was "
Built by 23 volunteers in a single day on Friday - Sept. 27 - 1912". In 1920 an addition was built at the rear of the building.
Originally, two wheeled carts with hose reels, hoses and manual tools occupied the fire hall. In 1928 the Village of Carmangay purchased its first firetruck. A second, a 1935 Ford, was purchased from the Town of Black Diamond in the 1950s, which remains with the department for use in parades. It's possible that this engine is stored within this building, though we can't be certain.
Since the construction of this fire hall Carmangay has seen many notable fires, the first occurring in 1914 when many businesses were lost. It has since been said that the loss would have been far greater if not for the volunteer fire brigade and town water system.
A 500 pound bell was purchased from the Cincinnati Bell Company and hung atop the bell tower. In 2012 The Carmangay & District Historical Society began fund raising to restore the old fire hall, with restoration commencing not long afterward. Now a Provincial Historic Resource, this is just about the only building of its kind in Alberta, with the original bell hanging in the original wooden bell tower.
Carmangay Historical Firehall
Description of Historic Place
The Volunteer Fire Brigade is located at the corner of Carman Street and Grand Avenue in the Village of Carmangay. This historic resource is a small, one storey, wood-framed structure with a front gabled roofline. The front of the building features a small square projection with an exaggerated pyramidal tower on a hipped roofline. The front tower doors, exposed rafters and a painted Fire Hall sign on the the south elevation of the building. The addition at the rear was added in 1920.
Heritage Value
The Volunteer Fire Brigade is of historic significance for its association with fire rescue in the Village of Carmangay and Vulcan County and is a testament to its role in protective services during the early development of the community. The Village has faced a couple devastating fires over its century and the location of the majority of the buildings and homes has changed, while the fire hall has remained in the same location, in the center of the community.
During the Edwardian era, as Carmangay experienced explosive growth due to the construction of the extension of the Aldersyde-Kipp CPR railway line to Carmangay in 1909-1911, population increased, as did the number of wood-framed buildings posing the risk of fire. With the installation of water services, a volunteer fire brigade was established and this building was constructed by 23 volunteers in a single day on Friday, September 27, 1912. Initially, fire equipment was basic and consisted of two-wheeled carts with reels of hoses. A team of four men pulled the carts with a fifth man operating the hydrant and connecting the hose. Volunteer residents formed the basis of the brigade, demonstrating their commitment to the community's safety. The first Fire Chief was D.O.McKay.
The Volunteer Fire Brigade has additional value as an example of utilitarian vernacular architecture, designed to suit its role in fire rescue. The pyramidal tower, which measures 9 meters in height, not only provided fire wardens with maximum visibility in all directions, but also provided a space to dry hosetops. A bell situated at the top of the tower provided emergency warning to residents. Large wood -paneled sliding doors provide wide access to the structure, which was necessary for the two-wheeled carts that were used before a fire truck was purchased in 1928. The rear addition to the building was built sometime in the 20's.
Character-Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the Volunteer Fire Brigade include its:
- location on the east side of Grand Avenue and Carman Street in close proximity to both the commercial and residential areas in Carmangay.
- minimal setback from the street;
- form, scale and massing as expressed by its one-storey height with the front-gabled rectangular plan; and a front projecting block with a hipped roof and topped with a large pyramidal tower;
- wood-framed construction with wooden drop siding, corner boards, cedar shingled roof and exposed rafter;
- fenestration including double wood-panelled sliding doors with original metal hardware and metal strap work above, original wooden frame transom windows; and
- additional features such as painted firehall sign.
From the Alberta Register of Historic Places