First Fire Hall

In 1872, the Village Council appropriated $1500 to purchase the community’s first firefighting equipment, a hand fire engine hose cart and 500 feet of hose. The engine was christened “The St. Joseph,” and a 43-member volunteer department was organized. In 1876, a brick engine house costing $2450 was erected as a twin attached to the west side of the building above here. It had a jail cell in the back, village offices on the second floor, and a bell tower on top for calling firemen to duty. It was razed in 1970. The twin half of the historic building, originally a stable, later served as a garage, Plain Dealer Antiques, and The GAW Center for the Arts, Wellness and Events. The wooden building still standing to the east was a blacksmith shop until the 1950s.

Union City, Michigan · United States