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NPS Form 10-900 RECEIVED 2280 (Rev. 10-90) JAN 3 01998 OMB No. 1024-0018 4e United States Department of the Interior National Park Service IAT. REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACE JATIONAL PARK SERVICI National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Compiete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions.
Place additional entries and narrative tems on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items 1. Name of Property historic name CENTRAL FIRE STATION other names/site number 2. '-ocation street & number 399 MAIN STREET n/a not for Publication city or town FALMOUTH N/A _ vicinity state_MASSACHUSETTS _code_MA county_BARNSTABLE code 001 _ zip code 02540 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1986, as amended, I hereby certify that this ) nomination - request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60.
In my opinion, the property & meets - does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant - nationally O statewide (locally. (O See continuation sheet for additiona! comments.) uditz B. MiDonough Signature of certifying official/Title Judith B/ McDonough, Executive Director 120/98 Massachusetts Historical Commission, State Historic Preservation Officer State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion,the property meets does not meet the NationalRegister criteria. (See continuation sheet for additional Comments.) Signature of certifying official/Title Date State or Federal agency and bureau 4. Natfonal Park Service Certification 1, hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register - See continuation sheet. - determined eligible for the National Register - See continuation sheet.
- determined not eligible for the National Register - removed from the National Register - other (explain): Date of Action 2: 26.98 Central Fire Station. Name of Property 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) _ private X public-local _public-State _ public-Federal (Check only one box) X building(s) _district site _ structure _ object Barnstable, Massachusetts County and State Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) Contributing Noncontributing 1 1 buildings sites 1 _structures objects 1 2 Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a muttiple property listing.) N/A 6.
Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) GOVERNMENT: Fire Station Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) GOVERNMENT; Fire Station 7. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Colonial Revival Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundation Concrete walls_ Brick roof_ other Asphalt Wood Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) (See continuation sheet) NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Central Fire Station Falmouth (Barnstable Co.), Massachusetts Section Page 1 7.
DESCRIPTION The Falmouth Central Fire Station is located on a flat lot on the south side of Main Street, between Shore and King Street, set back from the sidewalk with a small lawn with low plantings at front. Since its construction in 1929, it has been in continuous use as the headquarters of the Falmouth Fire Department. It is one of several brick, Colonial Revival-style buildings erected during the late 1920s in Falmouth, where the dominant building material had previously been wood clapboard and shingles. Except for interior changes in room use and some interior upgrading/modernization, the fire station retains its original appearance and continues its historical associations with the town of Falmouth and its fire department.
The nominated property includes the fire station (contributing), a side-gable garage (non- contributing) to the southwest of the station, and a radio tower (non-contributing) to the south of the station, on the same lot. A paved driveway to the west provides access to the garage and a rear parking lot. The Falmouth Central Fire Station is a rectangular, five-by-four bay, two-story, flat-roof, Colonial Revival-style building with symmetrically arranged openings. Set on a concrete foundation, the building is of fire proof construction, clad in a veneer of red brick laid in a Flemish bond with cast stone and white wood trim. The exterior dimensions of the building are 58 ft, 8 inches on its north and south sides and 50 ft, 4 inches on its east and west sides. The north-facing facade is notable for its two large openings, one on each side of the central entrance on the first floor.
(Photo 1) Segmental, brick arches with cast stone keystones span each opening. A wood inset with recessed panels appears just below each arch. The opening on the east side is a two-bay apparatus entrance with a replacement roll-top door comprised of four small horizontal lights in its mid- section and recessed panels on the remainder. The western opening is comprised of a panel of seven wood windows, six-over-six and four-over-four double-hung windows set below small, fixed, two- and three-light windows. The main pedestrian entrance consists of a round-arch opening with a classically- inspired wooden surround articulated with quoins and voissoirs. Fluted, narrow Doric pilasters with pulvinated caps flanking the door and overlaying the quoins, support a shallow entablature, topped by a decorative wrought iron railing.
The wood door has two vertical lights in its upper portion and panels below and is surmounted by a fanlight with tracery. At the corners of the north, east and west elevations, fluted, Doric pilasters set on cast stone bases and quoins constructed of wood trim frame the elevation. The facade pilasters support an entablature with wide frieze which bears the words "Falmouth Fire Department." Four sets of paired six-over-six double-hung sash windows and a single six-over-six window in the center bay flanked by two, narrow, one-over-one windows mark the second floor. All (continued) NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Central Fire Station Falmouth (Barnstable Co.), Massachusetts Section 7 Page 2 have fixed, louvered shutters (not original).
The paired windows shared single, brick, splayed lintels with cast stone keys and cast stone sills. The flat roof is topped by a brick parapet with a wood panel inset with turned baluster details painted white. The cornice entablature wraps around to the west elevation where a single-bay vehicular entrance is located in the south bay within a segmental-arch brick opening with keystone and wood panel similar in detail to those on the facade. A pedestrian entrance consisting of a wood paneled door with six lights below a splayed, brick lintel is located to the north of the vehicular entrance. Access to the basement is through an exterior door on the north bay of the west elevation, reached down a flight of concrete stairs with pipe railing. Windows here, as on the east and south elevations, are single, six-over-six double- hung sash framed by splayed, brick lintels and cast stone sills.
The only exception is a pair of six-over- six windows in the second bay from the north on the first floor of the west elevation. (Photo 2) The east elevation shares the same details as the west elevation. The south (rear) elevation lacks the wood cornice, pilasters, and quoins which appear on all other elevations. It has five evenly spaced windows on each floor. A wood fence, approximately 6 feet high, runs from the center of the east elevation to a perimeter fence which extends around to the south, enclosing a paved parking lot. A large, non-contributing radio tower stands upon a concrete pad (1980s) to the south of the building. A non-contributing, one-story, three-by- one bay, side-gable garage (ca. 1986) with stuccoed walls set on a concrete foundation is located to the southwest of the fire station.
The building's interior is compactly planned with small offices, bedrooms, and fire fighting apparatus space. Rooms throughout are modestly furnished and include only minimal details such as chair rails and simple door surrounds. The main entrance on the facade, opens into a small hallway, where stairs lead directly to the second floor. The first floor is dominated by a large, L-shaped Apparatus Room, used for vehicle and equipment storage, comprising the eastern and southern halves of the first floor, and connecting the vehicular entrance on the north elevation to the vehicular entrance in the south bay of the west elevation. This large room is cut off from the rest of the building by fire walls and has a poured concrete floor which has been pitched to provide drainage.
This room was designed to hold the station's ladder truck, pumper, hose tender, forest fire and still alarm combination, patrol wagon, and chief's car (Enterprise 9/19/1929). To the west of this is the original Fire Alarm Apparatus Room, or Signal Room, where switchboards and fire alarm signaling equipment was kept. This room was designed to be open to public view, barred off from the entrance lobby by only a brass rail. Chief Ray D. Wells, fire chief at the time of construction, (continued) NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places - Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Central Fire Station Falmouth (Barnstable Co.), Massachusetts Section Page_ 3 - requested that this room be kept open so that the public could familiarize themselves with what was at the time an innovative alarm system.
Today, this room is closed off with partition walls and used for office space. To the west of the former Signal Room, at the northwest corner of the building, are two small rooms originally designed as the fire chief's office and a bedroom. The fire chief's office is now located on the second floor, housed in what was originally a bedroom. A larger office area is located to the south of the Signal Room, accessed through the main central hallway. Separated from the hallway by a counter, this office provides work space and room for administrative services. The south wall of this office is made up almost entirely of cabinet space surrounding a pedestrian door which leads to the southern end of the Apparatus Room.
Modest restroom facilities are centrally located on the first floor's The second floor was originally designed to house the fire station's living quarters, containing bedrooms and a lounge along a main hall running east to west off the main stair. Today, the bedrooms on the southwest side of the building have been converted to office space. The bedrooms and current offices are small rooms ranging in size from approximately eight-by-ten feet to approximately twelve-by-fifteen feet. The recreation lounge is in its original location on the north side of the building to the east of the main stair. (Photo 4) This room includes kitchen facilities. In the southwest corner of the room is the sliding pole which leads down to the first floor Apparatus Room. Located off the lounge in the north, central bay of the building is the current signal and dispatch room.
Restrooms are also located on this floor, on the north side of the main hallway, west of the central stair. The basement is accessed by exterior stairs on the west elevation and includes a boiler room, tank room, and space for the storage of batteries. (continued) NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Central Fire Station Falmouth (Barnstable Co.), Massachusetts Section7 Page 4 Archaeological Description While no prehistoric sites are currently recorded on the nominated property, it is possible that sites are present. Four prehistoric sites are recorded in the general area(within one mile).
Environmental characteristics for the property also indicate locational criteria(slope, soil drainage and distance to wetlands) which are favorable for many types of prehistoric sites. Most of the area, including the fire station property, is characterized by relatively flat land surfaces and well drained glacial outwash soils in close proximity to kettle hole ponds. Marine related ecosystems and their associated coastal resources are also nearby. Given the above information, a high potential exists for locating prehistoric resources on this property. In general, however, the potential for significant prehistoric survivals is low.
The small size of the nominated property(less than one acre) combined with extensive historic period landuse including a 19th-century residence, two 20th-century fire stations, a garage, radio tower and paved driveway indicate that any prehistoric resources that may have been present have likely been impacted by these developments. A high potential exists for the recovery of historic archaeological resources on the nominated property. Structural survivals may exist for the H. W. Hewins residence and two smaller outbuildings shown at the site of the present fire station on an 1880 map of Falmouth. Structural remains may also exist for a 1911 fire station reported on the rear of the property. It is unknown when the Hewins House was built or when that house, the outbuildings or the 1911 fire station were demolished.
Occupational related features, particularly trash areas may also exist on the property associated with both residential and fire station related use of the property. The Archaeological Reconnaissance Study conducted for the town of Falmouth in 1996 identified the potential for historic archaeological sites dating from the Settlement and Colonial periods(1620-1775) for this area of Falmouth. While sites including structural remains and related features dating to these periods could exist on the nominated property, none have been identified to date. (continued) Hope Cemetery Name of Property 8. Statement of Significance