CITY LOSING A LANDMARK

Historic Old Fire Hall Is To Torn Down

[The Welland Tribune and Telegraph, 28 April 1921]

The old fire hall beside the court house is shortly to be torn down. The present building is in fact a land-mark as it has seen Welland grow from a village to a city. In olden days the council used to sit within its walls and if it could speak it would tell of many tales, private and public. After great investigation and interviews with a number of Welland’s oldest inhabitants we present the following article regarding its history:

The first agitation for modern firefighting equipment was after the Tremont House, situated between the new and old canal, was burned on December 17, 1872. This was a great fire for the village at that date as the “Tremont” was considered quite a select hostelry.

The question of better fire-fighting appliances laid dormant till 1876, when the question was again brought to the minds of the people of the village. A public meeting was held and the council was asked to submit a by-law to the rate-payer for the purchase of a fire engine.  In September 1876, a by-law was submitted to the rape-payers and on the 16^th of September it was carried by a majority of 97 votes, only 45 rate-payers voting against it. The total number of ballots cast were 187. On the 19^th of September the by-law was approved by the council on motion by James Griffith and Wm. Hill.

On November 9^th, a heated discussion took place in the council chamber as to where the hall should be built for the engine and firemen. The two members on the west side of the canal, Messrs. Jeffrey and Hill wanted in on Frazer St., and the two members on the east side, Messrs. Griffith and Lamont, wanted in on Cross, where it now stand, and they won out by the casting vote of the Reeve, Mr. Hendershot.

On December 8^th the council passed a resolution purchasing the fire engine, on motion of Griffith and Jeffrey, Mr. Lamont voting nay. On a motion by Griffith and Jeffrey the reeve was authorized to issue his check in favor of J.O. Ronald for the sum of $3,150 in full for purchase money of the fire engine and hose carts. On motion by Lamont and Griffith the fire engine was place in charge of A.O. Beatty until a hall could be procured. The fire engine arrived on December 8^th and A.O. Beatty and John Van Wyck were appointed to be a committee to make a test, which they did to the satisfaction of all present even to the few who were in opposition to the purchase.

The tender for the construction of the fire hall was let to Freeman Hodgson on November 9^th, at a meeting of the council on motion of James Griffith and O. Jeffrey.

The hall was partially destroyed by fire on two occasions. In 1877, Tuesday, January 30^th, the fire company met in the hall for the first time and on Friday evening, February 9^th, the firemen held their first ball in the new hall. On Wednesday, March 7^th. The new fire alarm bell was purchased and placed in the hall. On Thursday, September 19^th, 1884, the Frazer House, which was on the corner across from the Woolworth Building, and the fire hall caught fire and was burned. The bell was also destroyed and in the same year, 1884, the hall was rebuilt.

At the time of the terrific cyclone which blew the upper suspension bridge down at Niagara Falls, about 20 years ago. The tower of the hall was twisted out of place several feet. The contract was let to Jim Stevens to repair and put into place.

No doubt, many of the early inhabitants of Welland can recall many memories, pleasant and otherwise, connected with the old Welland Fire Hall, No. 1.