Old Dilworth Fire Station # 2 - A Fight for Survival

This lonely little building on South Boulevard reminds me so much of "The Little Red Lighthouse." It is located between the Arlington Condos and the adjoining parking deck.

The red brick building, built in 1909 and known as Old Dilworth Fire Station #2, is fighting for it's life. The owner,Marcel Starks, who acquired it for $1.03 million is now set to demolish it for a new office building. The City of Charlotte has offered him $950,000 for the property but so far, no deal.

First, a little bit of local history. We build things here in Charlotte. We have become so obsessed with building things that we no longer stop to think before we build. We build arenas that no one wants or even uses. We build Whitewater Rafting Centers with public money and then charge the taxpayers $5 to park there. We tear down old banks and historic landmarks and replace them with buildings that are identical to the other buildings and block out the sun. We just can't seem to tear them down fast enough to suit some people.

Walking downtown in Charlotte 12 years ago, I noticed little brass plaques in the sidewalks. They said really interesting stuff, like "The Last Confederate Cabinet Meeting was held on this site May, 1865." Or "On this spot once stood...." You get the picture. There were days when I was afraid to leave the house, in fear of returning home to a plaque that said I used to live there.

I looked around in the streets and there were no stores! Turns out they were all tucked away inside of the office buildings. No more department stores on Tryon Street.Just food courts and newstands and upscale restaurants for the banking crowd. I got curious and started looking at books with pictures of old Charlotte from 1857 and on through the present.

The heyday of Charlotte's business area, immediately adjacent to this firehouse, was in the 1930's through the early 1970's. You can see pictures of people shopping at the local stores. Women and children shopping amidst all the office buildings and the office lunch crowd. Just like New York when I was a kid.

In 1909 Charlotte was still a quaint city, although it was already the largest in North Carolina. Raleigh, with it's Research Triangle, was still many decades away from being the place it is today, although it was and remains, the capital.

The Dilworth area, immediately adjacent to downtown, and home to Fire Station # 2, was in development then. Mr. Dilworth was busy engaging the services of the Olmsted family of landscape architects to design an enviromentally pleasing place where the cities workers could live and raise their families.

In 1908 the city purchased the land from James M. Oates for the sum of $1,000. Mr Oates had paid $375 in 1891. The property is 50 feet by 150 feet, not including the two 10 foot wide alleyways. In 1948 the city closed the staion and sold the land and building for $30,000. By 1976 the property was fetching about $100,000. It passed on in this fashion until 2006 when Mr. Starks purchased the property for the aforementioned $1.03 million.

The problem here can be boiled down to this; Mr. Stark borrowed $828,000 to purchase this unique building in 2006, intending to open a combination car club and parking garage. He planned to use the original building and add a second floor in the areas where there were high ceilings. He also planned to widen the building to utilize the maximum space available. The plans fell through and the building still sits empty.

With only the sum of $80,000 dividing the City and Mr. Starks from closing a deal, you would think this is an easy fix. Just split the difference. But it's not that simple. Mr. Starks stands to lose a few bucks that way. And so does the city.

While the Historic Landmarks Commission stands by it's current offer, which is not acceptable to the owner, it is plain to see that they are not seriously trying to save this beautiful piece of history. After all is said and done, both Mr. Starks and the City will be better served by tearing it down. Mr. Starks will get out from under his loan obligations and make a handy profit. The city will then tax the new things that replace it and everyone will be happy. Everyone except me.

You see, I can still see and hear the fire engines being drawn out into the street on a cold winters night. I can hear the neighing of the horses as they struggle to pull their heavy loads. I can feel the relief of the victims as the fire equipment arrives to salvage their home.

When Dilworth Fire Station Number Two goes, she will take with her a bit of us all. Now I don't know about you, but I don't think there is that much of the past left that we can let it slip away so easily.