Engine House No. 9 at 11th and Poplar, Erie PA

Engine House No. 9, West 11th and Poplar St. Photo by Chester Wasielewski, ©Debbi Lyon 2012.

Here's another piece of Erie history. The old firehouse at the corner of West 11th and Poplar Street was demolished to make way for a parking lot. 

Here's an article from the Erie Evening Herald  (May 5, 1903) which tells of the humble beginnings of this cool-looking building:

"Corner-stone ceremonies at the new No. 9 engine house were held this afternoon at 3 o'clock. Mayor William Hardwick, Fire Commissioners Heuer, Kaltenbach and Zimmerly and other city officials drove out to the new house at Eleventh and Poplar streets in the carriages leaving the City Hall at 2:30 o'clock...


The mayor conducted the ceremonies of laying the stone and then addressed a few well chosen remarks to the assemblage. He spoke as follows:

'This corner stone, which we are about to lay, marks the progress of a work which will meet the approval of all our citizens. The west side of the city which is building up so rapidly, has been without adequate fire protection, and we are wise in this movement to give to the various interests that center here the security they demand and deserve. The credit of this building belongs to a number of persons, chief among them, the fire commissioners, the councilmen and the business men of this part of the city, and to no one individual more than to a gentleman who formerly represented this ward in the Common Council, the late lamented Harry Bostwick, who worked an planned with enthusiasm for this enterprise...'

The new engine house is being erected by Contractors William Ackerman & Sons, at a cost of $14,000. It will be ready for occupancy by July 1st."

The firehouse at 11th and Poplar was abandoned in the late fifties. It was then used as a garage for the maintenance department. Firemen's classes were held in the building for about three years starting in 1961. The firehouse stood until the spring of 1964, when the redevelopment authority demolished buildings between Liberty and Sassafras to build parking lots for the industries on West 12th Street.

Enjoy more historic Erie, PA facts and photos at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com