Historic Michigan Fire Hall Gets New Life

The Ishpeming Fire Department has moved back into its historic city fire hall after repairing the structural integrity of the more than 100-year-old Michigan building.

The volunteer fire crew was headquartered in the former city recycling center since July while work was done to reinforce fire hall floor to support the weight of modern fire trucks and equipment, according to The Mining Journal of Marquette.

“The floor has been supported with steel beams, so it’s no longer an issue with potential collapse or failure,” Ishpeming Fire Chief Ed Anderson told the newspaper. “The trucks are safely nested here.”

Drain tiles also were installed in the floor along the basement outer walls because of past problems with water collecting, Anderson said.

The tiles are made of a porous stone, which allows water to permeate through to drain pipes underneath, Ishpeming Department of Public Works Superintendent Jon Kangas said. The pipes carry the water to a sump pump.

Marquette-based Premeau Construction installed the steel beams in the basement as well as the footing drains. The total cost of the project was about $93,000.

City officials expect the work to allow the fire department to use the building for at least the next few years.