Old Engine Company No. 7

Address: 2163 Central Avenue

Owner: Augusta Richmond County

History and Significance:  Construction began on the Engine Company No. 7 building in 1913 and work was completed in 1914 at a cost of $12,599 and placed in commission May 1, 1915.  The architect was Thomas Campbell of Augusta, and the contractor was listed as T. O. Brown & Sons, also of Augusta.  The fire station is designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, and features striking white stucco exterior walls and a red clay tile pent roof.  Old Engine Company No. 7 was the first fire station in Augusta to house motorized fire trucks, including a Seagrave Motor triple pump and a Seagrave Motor combination hook and ladder truck, as reported in the 1914 City of Augusta yearbook.  In the 1915 City of Augusta yearbook, the station had 11 firemen assigned to it, strategically located to protect the Monte Sano and Summerville neighborhoods.  The crew of Engine Company No. 7 moved out in 2003 after a 70 year occupation and the building has been largely vacant since, with occasional usage for firefighter training and storage. As an integral part of the history of the development of the Summerville neighborhood and an excellent example of its architectural style, Old Engine Company No. 7 is an outstanding historic resource in Augusta, prime for rehabilitation and reinvestment.

Threat: Property is vacant and no permanent use has been determined.  Funding for ongoing maintenance is not guaranteed.

Potential Uses:  Property has been discussed as the location for a fire department museum.  Other uses include potential restaurant or community center, private office use, or rehabilitation for income producing residential.

Preservation Tools: (1) A contributing resource in the Summerville Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is therefore eligible for all programs of the National Register which include  tax incentives for certified rehabilitations and other potential grant funds when available; (2) located in the Summerville Local Historic District, which means that any alteration to the exterior, including demolition, should be approved by the Augusta Richmond County Historic Preservation Commission.