Portage County Historical Society

In a letter dated Dec. 20, 2005 addressed to PCHS President Tim Siebert, Mary Ann Laszewski included a copy of a letter she had sent to Stevens Point Mayor Gary Wescott asking if the Southside Fire Station could be saved rather then demolished or sold off. This began a flurry of letter writing and inquires that resulted in the Historical Society being sold the building in March 2006 for $1.00.

Thus the oldest surviving municipal building in Stevens Point was saved! The Fire Station, designated number 2, was build in 1885 to serve the railroad and business districts in the southern part of the city.

The Stevens Point Fire Department was a volunteer outfit when the station was built and it initially housed a horse-drawn steam engine dubbed the "General Ellis"

Time Line for Fire House No. 2

• Built in 1885 after city acquired the property.
• Replaced a single engine-house/garage that was located between depot and FH #2. This first structure was then moved relocated to the same property and sometime torn down (no record of what happened to it after the move). Original structure was rectangular, 2 story. 1895/1896 addition added day room or voting room for ward, kitchen, rear south "calaboose".
• Originally manned as a volunteer FD until the addition added in 1895/1896, then firefighter became paid and full time.
• Rear calaboose/jail was one of two in the city. The other was in the back of Firehouse #1 (off 2nd street just north of city square).
• Calaboose was used to house drunk/disorderly, tramps/hobos, women of ill repute, etc...short-term holding. mostly overnight. Was made up of 2 cells, one larger and one smaller to handle separation of men and women (else my findings seem to indicate mostly one cell used. Originally had a dirt floor, changes to conditions for prisoners led to improvements and eventually to calabooses not being used. The original stairwell (taken out when addition was put on) was used to get between floors during a fire until a fire-pole (the latest technology upgrade to fighting fires) was installed in late 1800's.
• Was used as a working FD until 1967 when the new FD near UWSP on Division was built and then rendered both #1 and #2 stations as obsolete. Both were then used as storage by the city. #2 was used for a few years by the local YMCA until they acquired the current building on Division street, then used mostly for meter-maid car storage, meter repair, storage of city XMAS decorations, etc.
• Houses one original firetruck the city acquired at World's Fair in Chicago, now owned by the local firefighter's union.
• Houses an original horse drawn hose wagon from Stevens Point (also owned by local FF union) along with the first fire-fighting apparatus owned by Jct City (later Nelsonville) - being hand drawn and was used to mostly fight fires that started along the railroad right-of-way's in JC.
• Backroom/calaboose now housing signs and items of period interest donated from around the area and in PCHS collection.
• Upstairs (kitchen & sleeping area): in transition/flux as work is being done and as temporarily housing the Wendell Nelson collection/documents.
• Other upstairs back areas: currently being converted and housing PCHS clothing and toy collections.
• PCHS acquired building from the city for $1 in 2006.
• Improvements done under PCHS ownership: new metal roofs, re-instatement of bell tower, restoration of calaboose into useable space, tuck-point and brick replacement on front of building, paved driveway.