Firemen's Hall, 1882

219 East Huron Street

Firemen's Hall, 1882
Hands-on Museum, 1979
Creator: Scott, William

For more than ninety years Ann Arbor's elegant, multi-arched firehouse has borne witness to the civic pride of our forebears. Built in 1882-83, the fire-house was designed by the Detroit architect William Scott. Under the watchful eye of the Council and its building committee, the new firehouse was completed by contractors Tessmer and Ross of Ann Arbor, at almost the exact cost authorized by the voters: $10,000. The building is constructed largely of brick, some of which is projected so as to form arches or rows of corbeling. For many years the building was painted red with much of the decorative brick work painted white to suggest stone. This was a common method of emphasizing high-style features when builders were faced with a shortage of stone or of funds. In the late 1970s, the paint was removed to reveal the soft tones of the original brick as well as the delicacy of the original stone detailing.

When the new fire station was erected in the 1970's, the people of Ann Arbor were determined to save their beloved landmark. Cynthia Yao proposed to City Council in 1978 that the building be converted to a special kind of museum for children, dedicated to education through a hands-on approach to the sciences. In 1979 permission for this use was conditioned on raising funds for the renovation. Due to the inspiration of Cynthia Yao and the financial and technical support of many towns-people, it is now the successful Hands-On Museum.

The City of Ann Arbor has restored the exterior of the building with little change. A weather vane, typical for fire houses in the 19th century, has been added to the tower. The interior has been rehabilitated in two stages to house the museum exhibits. The old firehouse kitchen was converted to a "discovery room" and a greenhouse has been added on the west side.