Originally used as a carriage house for the wagon service that transported passengers and baggage from the train depot, by 1911 this building became a firehouse for the Mount Tabor Fire Department.
The first use this building served was described in 1877, “The ice house is stored with one hundred tons of pure ice, and straw and stabling for horses can be procured in the barn above it.” In the early years as a carriage house, it served as a storage for baggage and goods shipped in by train and transported to the grounds by wagon. In 1910 it would become the location for the hose cart for Hose Company Number One. It is commonly known as “the old firehouse” today. The founding members of the Mount Tabor Volunteer Fire Department in 1910. Organized with initial funding from the CMA to prevent the danger of fire spreading through the closely situated homes. Prior to 1910, fire protection was provided by the Protection Hook and Ladder Company from Dover. The department was formed into two companies, each with its own hand-drawn hose cart. Because of the steep streets, one cart was kept in the firehouse on Simpson Avenue, and one was located on the top of the hill, now North Place. The building that had served as a carriage house became the first firehouse for the department in 1911. It was also used for fire hose drying, socializing, and volunteer meetings. In 1913, the cupola and the heavy 500-pound bell were added. The bell was used as a fire signal until 1923 and was replaced by a siren. Starting in 1929 it was also an election polling place. In 1953, the Fire Department vacated the building and now occupies the lower level of the Tabernacle, directly across Simpson Ave., and is still active today.
