History of the Engine House

Every Citizen

In 1819 the State Legislature passed an act making every citizen a member of the fire company. Every house owner had to furnish
two leather buckets for every fireplace in his house. Each year eight citizens were appointed "engineers" to pull and operate the pump-handle fire engine
Rough and Ready

By 1826 the old fire engine purchased in 1809 was no longer effective and the board purchased Frankfort's first "Rough and Ready" engine from manufacturers Colenridge and Sampson. Col. John Wood was appointed fire captain, with John Vest and A. G. Cammack serving as first and second lieutenants. Unfortunately, the new engine did not arrive in Frankfort until sometime in 1830.
John Haly

John Haly was the contractor for the new engine house Main Street in 1868. It was described as a 2-stoiy brick building, with iron columns in front and a slate roof. The first floor consisted of two rooms, one a large wide one for the accommodation of the new steam fire engine as well as the old hand engine, and the hose carriages of both. The other room is suitable for a saloon or store and is designed to be rented.

2023 Martha T. Moore Memorial Award for Historic Preservation

“Perhaps the oldest extant firehouse in Kentucky, the building was constructed in 1868 and served as the Engine House (firehouse) until 1955 when the operations were moved to the current City Hall on 2nd St. In a few short years following it's sale the building was greatly altered, divided into two parcels, additions made to the rear and original fabric stripped from the building as it served a multitude of uses including County Clerk’s office, law offices, local radio station, apartments, sewing center, and more.

Mr. Bill Cull is no stranger to preservation having championed the Grand Theater renovation/recreation in the early 2000’s. He knew the history of the property located at 307-309 W Main St. Mr. Cull’s first task was acquiring and reconnecting the two separately owned parts of the building and disconnecting the rear additions access. After completing the task of buying the separate parcels, he began to renovate and decide a final use for the structure. A historic sign designating the building as the Engine House 1868 has been recreated and the cast iron façade and original transom windows restored, and modern garage style doors added in the place of the similar originals. Half of the downstairs will soon open as a new downtown coffee shop and a second phase of renovation will soon begin to build out an apartment in the upper floor. The whole of the project has utilized historic preservation tax credits an important part of the development financing, and has been guided by the City's preservation guidelines and the Secretary of Interior Standards for the treatment of historic properties as required when utilizing tax credits.

For the renovation of the historic firehouse and reviving an important landmark of downtown as a contributing structure for our future, we are honored to present Mr. Bill Cull as the project representative and the former Engine House the 2023 Martha T. Moore Memorial Award for Historic Preservation.”

-Franklin County Trust for Historic Preservation