Description du lieu patrimonial

The Old Mossbank Fire Hall is a Municipal Heritage Property located at 404 Main Street in the Town of Mossbank. The property features a small, one-storey, wood-frame fire hall constructed in 1917.

Valeur patrimoniale

Heritage value of the Old Mossbank Fire Hall lies in its role in the community’s fire protection, law enforcement and health regulation. The hall was constructed in 1917 and remained in service until 1976, when a new facility was built. In 1920, a small holding cell was added to the building and was used until 1966 by local constables and the RCMP to hold prisoners. During the 1919 Spanish flu epidemic, town officials used the fire hall bell to warn residents of a curfew it instituted as part of a community health measure.

The heritage value of the property also lies in its status as one of the oldest buildings in Mossbank. As the oldest building on the town’s main street which on its original location, and its ongoing presence on the streetscape has made it a significant community landmark.

The heritage value of the property also lies in its architecture. The Boomtown design and wood-frame construction reflects the utilitarian nature of the property and the need for functionality. This design is best exhibited by its simple rectangular form with limited massing and the large false front. The property’s most distinctive feature is its belfry, which includes decorative features, a flagpole and is offset to the right of the building.

Source:

Town of Mossbank Bylaw 3-03.

Éléments caractéristiques

The heritage value of the Old Mossbank Fire Hall resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements that reflect the property's former uses as a fire hall and correctional facility, including the belfry, black and white painting scheme, holding cell and its position on property’s original location;
-those elements that reflect the Boomtown design, including its cedar shingles, wood-frame construction, simple form, limited massing and Boomtown false-front.