To: Mayor Grebien and City Council
Save Hose Company Six
Future of Firehouse is in the Past
Last night I, along with many others, spoke against the Demolition of Hose Company 6. We heard stories of childhoods spent with the Firehouse, stories of families starting with the help of the Firehouse, we heard heartfelt pleas to keep the building, we even heard a resolute summary of how the building could be repaired.
The Commission granted a Six Month stay on demolition (which is actually five because of a administrative quirk). With that time it falls to us that spoke to come to a resolution on the problem. We heard some suggestions, restaurants, other stores, reuse of the building.
I canvassed on the issue and spoke with many people, one of whom was chock full of ideas, one of which a bit on the fly was a museum. One of the speakers at the meeting said she felt a store was a slap in the face of those who'd served in the Firehouse. That is true, so personally I'm drawn to the museum idea. We must look at the issue through a historical lens as well as an economic one. As a member of the commission explained this Firehouse was built at a pivotal time for fire safety when Pawtucket was less than a decade old. A prestigious pedigree to be sure.
What if we had a museum dedicated to Fire and Rescue, with a hall of fame to recognize heroes past and present. We can work with local unions to do honoree banquets, we could have museum admission with field trips for school children, day trips for group and senior homes. This truly could be a cultural hub.
If we dared to dream we could invite heroes from across the nation to visit the Firehouse in an annual reception, filling local restaurants and lodgings. Economic Development doesn't come out of a box. It comes from thinking outside of one.
Last night I, along with many others, spoke against the Demolition of Hose Company 6. We heard stories of childhoods spent with the Firehouse, stories of families starting with the help of the Firehouse, we heard heartfelt pleas to keep the building, we even heard a resolute summary of how the building could be repaired.
The Commission granted a Six Month stay on demolition (which is actually five because of a administrative quirk). With that time it falls to us that spoke to come to a resolution on the problem. We heard some suggestions, restaurants, other stores, reuse of the building.
I canvassed on the issue and spoke with many people, one of whom was chock full of ideas, one of which a bit on the fly was a museum. One of the speakers at the meeting said she felt a store was a slap in the face of those who'd served in the Firehouse. That is true, so personally I'm drawn to the museum idea. We must look at the issue through a historical lens as well as an economic one. As a member of the commission explained this Firehouse was built at a pivotal time for fire safety when Pawtucket was less than a decade old. A prestigious pedigree to be sure.
What if we had a museum dedicated to Fire and Rescue, with a hall of fame to recognize heroes past and present. We can work with local unions to do honoree banquets, we could have museum admission with field trips for school children, day trips for group and senior homes. This truly could be a cultural hub.
If we dared to dream we could invite heroes from across the nation to visit the Firehouse in an annual reception, filling local restaurants and lodgings. Economic Development doesn't come out of a box. It comes from thinking outside of one.
Why is this important?
We must preserve history in Pawtucket