Islanders gathered inside the Edgartown fire station on Wednesday to say goodbye to a venerable building that has served as a second home to the town’s firefighters and first responders for decades.
A bittersweet tone swept through as first responders, police officers, town employees, current and retired firefighters, and members of the new fire station building committee gathered inside the heart of the building, the old fire-truck apparatus bay visible from Peases Point Way. Island children used to stare in awe at the gleaming red trucks on days they were lucky enough to pass by in the backseat of their parents’ car when the towering red doors were open.
Edgartown Fire Chief Alexander Schaeffer addressed the crowd first, followed by remarks by town administrator James Hagerty. Afterwards, building committee members and firefighters wielded sledgehammers in a ceremonial gesture, taking turns striking the interior walls of the structure that has served the department for roughly 60 years.
“For the men and women of the Edgartown Fire Department, past and present, this day is profoundly bittersweet. We are not just saying goodbye to bricks and mortar, we are bidding farewell to a second home, a place that has served not only as a safeguard for the community but as a crucible for the fire department membership itself,” said Schaeffer. “We carry the spirit housed within those walls forward with us.”
Hagerty reflected on the project’s journey, which began with a feasibility study in 2018. Initial plans envisioned a larger complex, which Hagerty said didn’t fit Edgartown’s classic style. The new fire station is planned to be built at the same location as the current one, at 68 Peases Point Way, after demolition.
The project also turned out to be more expensive than planned. At an Edgartown special town meeting in December, Edgartown voters approved an additional $2.5 million of funding for the project. Originally approved in 2023, the new building was expected to cost $21.5 million, but bids came in well above the initial estimates. Rising costs also put a halt to demolition to the station, which was supposed to be carried out in November.
“Smoother minds prevailed,” said Hagerty. “I know the select board, the fire station building committee, and a lot of different input came into designing this one singular building that fits the Edgartown brand. This is what towns do, the fundamental charge of towns: building fire stations, buying police cars, educating children. Everything else aside, those three things are what towns do.”
Hagerty thanked the town for its support in town meetings, and for the individuals who spent years getting the project ready.
“It’s not only a commitment to the town, it’s a commitment to firefighters, all past, present. It’s a commitment to the citizens of Edgartown, and most importantly, it’s a commitment to the people who show up to town meetings to vote ‘aye’ and say yes,” he added.
After the ceremony, Schaeffer said in an interview with The Times that the building has been the home of the Edgartown Fire Department for roughly 60 years and has benefited the community in many ways, some of which may never be recognized.
“The sense of community, the sense of a sound and stable place to be in, all of the education, everything has been built off of that,” said Schaeffer. “We’ve been recognizing [it] a little bit more now as it’s come time to actually demolish the building. Not that we’re not excited –– we’re super-grateful for the opportunity to move forward. But this has served as such a hub for us all for so long that it’s, you know –– we’re finding that recognition now.
“We’ve really squeezed every inch of it,” he added. “It has been utilized to the best of its ability.”
Looking ahead, the focus for Edgartown firefighters is to maintain operations from temporary facilities. Demolition and laying down foundations for the new building will start as weather eases up closer to spring.
“We should really see something coming up out of the ground and looking like we can see the future then,” said Geoffrey Kontje, retired firefighter, builder-at-large on the project, and member of the building committee.
Shouldn’t that read “it’s a commitment to the people who show up to town meetings to vote ‘Aye’ and say yes,” ?
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