In 1912 the fast growing little town of Carmangay, recently filled with wood framed buildings, immediately saw the need for a fire brigade and a fire hall to house fire fighting equipment, such as it was in 1912. The town's residents, never ones to let moss accumulate on them, decided one day in September that the time had come to build that fire hall. As a result, this building, now known as the
Carmangay Historical Fire hall was "
Built by 23 volunteers in a single day on Friday - Sept. 27 - 1912". In 1920 an addition was built at the rear of the building.
Originally, two wheeled carts with hose reels, hoses and manual tools occupied the fire hall. In 1928 the Village of Carmangay purchased its first firetruck. A second, a 1935 Ford, was purchased from the Town of Black Diamond in the 1950s, which remains with the department for use in parades. It's possible that this engine is stored within this building, though we can't be certain.
Since the construction of this fire hall Carmangay has seen many notable fires, the first occurring in 1914 when many businesses were lost. It has since been said that the loss would have been far greater if not for the volunteer fire brigade and town water system.
A 500 pound bell was purchased from the Cincinnatti Bell Company and hung atop the bell tower. In 2012 The Carmangay & District Historical Society began fund raising to restore the old fire hall, with restoration commencing not long afterward. Now a Provincial Historic Resource, this is just about the only building of its kind in Alberta, with the original bell hanging in the original wooden bell tower.
CARMANGAY FIRE HALL
BUILDING THE FIRE HALL
On September 27, 1912, 23 volunteers built the front tower portion of the firehall, start to finish, in 1 day. The 500 pound bell in the bell tower was purchased from the Cincinnatti Bell Company. The fire brigades' two wheeled carts with hose reels now had a place out of the weather. The longer addition to the rear was added in the 1920's and in 1928 the Village of Carmangay purchased its first firetruck. The small privately owned building to the north of the Firehall is also historically significant as it was built as the jail. These buildings are still sitting in the location that they were built on.
THE OLD FIRE TRUCK
Currently housed in the fire hall is the 1935 Ford fire truck that was purchased from Black Diamond in the late 1950s. A news article from the time states, "the 36 year old motor, the muffler and what comes out of the tail pipe may not pass pollution tests today, but the outfit gets the job done for the community." It was used to fight the Carmangay school fire where the pump ran for 3 hours straight. Once the village purchased a modern fire truck, the old truck was kept and used for parades.
DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS
As most small towns, Carmangay's fire brigades were made up of volunteers. The 2 wheeled carts would be pulled by four men to a hydrant. There have been many notable fires in Carmangay. The first was in 1914 when many businesses were lost. It was said that the loss would have been worse if not for the volunteer fire brigade and town water system. Generations of residents are thankful for the men and women Volunteers that continue to man the firehall to this day.
BELL SIGNIFICANCE
1985 marked Carmangay's 75th Anniversary and the fire hall was designated as the village's logo by the province. The firehall was spruced up with a new paint job for the celebrations. For the village's 100th Anniversary in 2010, pins were produced with the firehall's image. By the end of the 1980s the fire hall fell into such disrepair that the bell had to be removed from the tower for fear that it may collapse. In 2012 the fire hall was officially designated as a Municipal Heritage Site. The major significance of this fire hall is that is one of the only buildings of its kind in Alberta with the original bell hanging in the original tower. Other fire halls with original bells hanging can be found, but their bell towers are made of brick.
RESTORING THE LEGACY
The Carmangay & District Historical Society began working on raising funds to restore the building to its former glory in 2012. Once the funding was in place, a contractor was hired to begin the restoration. The original transom windows and front doors were restored and installed. Engineers determined that due to the weight of the bell, the bell tower structure would need a new foundation. The damaged parts of the exterior were replaced, the roofs were re-shingled and new paint was applied. In the fall of 2018, the bell was once again hung in its rightful space, completing the restoration. The Carmangay Firehall is a prized historical building reminding all of its role throughout Carmangay History.
From the Historical Marker at the Fire Hall