116 Meeting Street (Old Lower Fire Station)

Archive

-

Historic Charleston Foundation

116 Meeting Street: Origsize: 4x6; Origformat: Print-Photographic
116 Meeting Street

Origsize: 4x6; Origformat: Print-Photographic

Name/Title

116 Meeting Street (Old Lower Fire Station)

Entry/Object ID

MEETING.116.1

Scope and Content

Constructed 1887-88; renovated 1970s. After earthquake damage to its old central fire station, the city embarked in 1887 on a campaign to build three new fire stations. This 2-story, Flemish-bonded brick structure was the lower station, completed before the end of 1888 at a cost of about $7,000. Accompanying this station, a separate appropriation was made for an "Iron Bell Tower complete" of $2,344.50. The tower contained a 2,500 pound bell that was an essential part of the city's fire alarm system. The bell was also used to alert residents of hurricanes, severe temperature changes, important national events, and, until 1927 when the practice was discontinued, the time of day. Its use as a fire alarm was discontinued in 1953. In the 1970s the city rehabilitated the fire station as offices and a public hearing room. The bell tower was restored by the city in 1989. (Poston, Buildings of Charleston.) File contains newspaper article (1981 DYKYC).

Collection

Historic Charleston Foundation Property Records

Acquisition

Accession

MEETING.116.

Source or Donor

116 Meeting Street (Old Lower Fire Station)

Acquisition Method

Collected by Staff

Lexicon

Search Terms

Meeting Street, Civic Square, Historic buildings--South Carolina--Charleston, Fire stations--South Carolina--Charleston, Fire towers--South Carolina--Charleston, Bell towers--South Carolina--Charleston

Legacy Lexicon

Object Name

Property File

Archive Details

Archive Size/Extent

1 File Folder

Archive Notes

Finding Aids: Index to Property Files Level of Description: Folder

Location

Location

Shelf

Property File Shelves

Room

Margaretta P. Childs Archives

Building

Missroon House

Category

Permanent

Date

February 7, 2023

Location

Container

PF Box 72

Shelf

Prop File Shelves, Property File Shelves

Room

Margaretta P. Childs Archives

Building

Missroon House

Category

Permanent

Location

Container

2

Shelf

Prop File Shelves, Property File Shelves

Room

Margaretta P. Childs Archives

Building

Missroon House

Category

Permanent

Relationships

Related Entries

Notes

MEETING.116.2a-f, MEETING.116.3 Related Units of Description: Bell tower (a/k/a fire tower) appears in 3 historic photographs: 2004.021.072A and B, 2006.007.24. Preservation Issues/Topics file "Firebell Towers."

Related Publications

Notes

Buildings of Charleston (see Abstract), pg. 190

General Notes

Note

Notes: A/k/a 114 Meeting Street

Created By

admin@catalogit.app

Create Date

July 7, 2010

Updated By

admin@catalogit.app

Update Date

February 17, 2023