Excerpts from the herald-review.com:
On Saturday, community members were invited to walk through Decatur’s Fire Station 3 one last time during an open house organized by History of the Heartland, a sponsor of community events highlighting historic preservation and stories of Macon County structures and people.
Several current firefighters stopped by the open house to reminisce. The amount of work and the size of the building were what made the station a popular house for the firefighters. Mark Allen, a retired firefighter that worked at the station in the past, displayed several pieces of fire memorabilia during Saturday’s event including equipment and uniforms that dated back nearly 60 years.
The station was one of the older and smaller fire houses in Decatur before the city began building larger facilities a few years ago. Firefighters moved to their new location around the corner on Fairview Plaza a year ago.
A local businessman is in the process of purchasing the nearly 100-year-old building. Although the location and aesthetics of the station were enticing, he will be changing several details. The lower level will be expanded 45 feet into the lot west of the building. Other buildings he owns are being used for construction materials and business-related items, so he plans to store several of his vehicles in the old fire station. Plans for the upper level will include three executive-level apartments.
