Strathcona Fire Hall No. 1
Strathcona Fire Hall No. 1
Herzog on Heritage | August 24, 2011 | Article 007
Not many buildings can lay claim to functioning as a fire hall for two cities, a furniture warehouse and a community theatre, but that’s how the one at 10318 83rd Avenue has served its 101 years. When the two-storey red brick structure was completed in 1910 as Strathcona Fire Hall No. 1, there was room for nine horses in its rear stable and three fire wagons.
It replaced a building that had been completed in 1901 for the Strathcona Volunteer Brigade. That wood-frame structure was situated near the town’s water well and equipped with a horse-drawn wagon with a wooden water tank.
But fire crews found it cold and unsanitary, and so the council of the rapidly growing town commissioned local architects Arthur G. Wilson and David E. Herrald to draw the plans for a replacement. Wilson and Herrald also designed several other early 20th century Strathcona landmarks including the public library, Princess Theatre, and Douglas Block.
“Typical of fire hall architecture at that time, the building and bell-hose tower are made of brick with exterior stone quoin edging and concrete flooring (mostly covered in wood),” says a statement of significance compiled by Edmonton’s heritage planners. The three sets of double-vehicle doors were decorated with round arches and radiating stone, and the structure was topped with a prominent classical cornice and pedimented parapet featuring the words "FIRE HALL No 1.”
The 77-foot-high brick bell tower was used for hanging hoses to dry after use, and was topped with the original Strathcona fire bell. The ringing of the bell summoned the volunteers when a blaze broke out and their services were urgently needed.
The second floor was configured for a chief’s office, a general hall, six bedrooms, a band room, and a bathroom with showers. As befitting any upstanding early 20th century fire hall, there were two fire poles for rapid access to the ground floor.
The brick load-bearing walls were laid atop a concrete foundation, which enclosed a basement that was dug out under half of the 78-foot wide building. The basement held the heating boilers and fuel rooms.
Construction on the red brick fire hall started in 1909 under contractor J.M. Eaton, whose tender for $13,715 was selected as the winner from five submitted. Standard Plumbing & Heating Co. of Edmonton installed the heating system for $998.
A story in the August 27, 1909, edition of the Edmonton Bulletin praised the design for its “unusually commodious” size and “handsome brick.” It boasted all the fitments of the best fire halls of its time.
The apparatus room measured 78 feet wide by 58 feet deep, providing room for the most up-to-date firefighting vehicles, the story reported. In the rear, the stables were arranged to accommodate nine horses with a hayloft and feed bins above.
But the construction was not without its problems. Structural cracks in the walls and an embarrassing lean in the bell tower delayed completion until 1910. Fixing the deficiencies added another $2,000 to the final price.
The building was named Strathcona Fire Hall No. 1, and then when Edmonton and Strathcona amalgamated in 1912, it became Edmonton Fire Hall No. 6. The original parapet was removed sometime after 1914.
With the burgeoning popularity of internal combustion engines, motorized vehicles gradually replaced horses and fire wagons. Photos taken in 1920 show crews posing at the front doors with both methods of propulsion.
The building functioned as a firefighting facility until 1954, when the city commissioner decided it was falling down, and a new hall was constructed across the street. For the next 20 years, the old hall served as a warehouse for Strathcona Furniture, and then in 1974 began its third life as the new home of the Walterdale Playhouse.
The amateur theatre group raised funds to restore and preserve the building’s exterior, while the interior was reconfigured and reconstructed to handle its new use. The garage area where fire wagons were once stored became the stage and lobby.
The second floor became a lighting and sound room, furnace room, wardrobe and set rooms, and change rooms for actors. A trap door was installed in the stage to provide access to the half basement.
The province declared the exterior of the structure a Registered Historic Resource in 1976. Now, it survives as the oldest major fire hall in Alberta. There’s still plenty of history to be found; if you look closely, you may see the initials of firefighters carved into the front brick facade.
The attached 11-foot-square brick bell and hose tower features stone decoration, an octagonal brick cupola with masonry arches, and belfry topped by white domed octagonal roof. The tower is still home to the original three-foot-diameter bronze Strathcona town bell.
In recognition of its historical and architectural significance, the exterior of the 101-year-old building was designated a Municipal Historic Resource earlier this year. “It also possesses heritage value as an excellent example of early twentieth-century fire hall construction and design,” notes the heritage planner’s statement of significance.
Under the designation, the building is eligible for $100,000 to fix the exterior brickwork, and to restore and repair all windows and doors. Work is now underway to strip and repaint the windows, doors, cornice and concrete. The sidewalk along the west side of the building is going to be torn up and relaid, and drainage will be improved along the back of the theatre to ensure that water flows away from the building.
© 2011 Lawrence Herzog, All Rights Reserved.
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