Editors Note: Before Rick was a reliable local historian, he was our Stockbridge Police Chief. Behind his back, shh, we called him Superman. He stood a post at Red Lion corner, directing traffic and we all waved. He walked a beat along Main Street, told funny stories, and we all laughed. Now, as we contemplate a new firehouse, Rick leads us through the history of our old ones. Rick recounts Town Meeting articles and votes and Chris Marsden adds comments. This is Part One of Two.
Town Meeting April 6, 1896: [On the Town Warrant]
Article XIII “To see if the town will appropriate a sum sufficient to place a marker of the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution at the grave of each revolutionary soldier or sailor buried in this town the expense not exceed one dollar each.”
Voted and approved same. Voted to appropriate $600.00 for the care of the Town Cemetery and $200 for the care of the Catholic cemetery.
Article XI voted to accept the report of the committee on building suitable buildings for the care of the fire apparatus and the committee is discharged. The committee also finds that there has been difficulty in securing a permanent suitable place storing the hose cart at the west end of the village. The committee therefore suggests the erection of smaller building not to cost over $950 to be located on the west side of the cemetery lot south of house of Thomas Doyle, suitable for drying and storing the hose at the end of the village and for the convenience of Fire Company # 2. All of which is respectfully submitted, Dr. Williams, FS Aymar, Committee.
Voted $1,500.00 be appropriated for the purchase of a building and site of Mrs. ME Dunbar and $1,000.00 for moving and altering the same and $1,500.00 for seating a building for fire apparatus on cemetery lot on Church Street for Hose Co. No. 2.
[Town Warrant] Monday 8th day of February 1932
Article 22 voted that on behalf of the American Legion the moderator appoint a committee of five to arrange a public meeting to celebrate the birthday of George Washington. Rev. AR Brown, Rev EA Lane, Mr. JJC Lynch, Voted the citizens be asked whether they approved of having horse races on town park the afternoon of Memorial Day. Voted 77 yes, no 0.
Chris Marsden: “The Church Street Hose Co. was #2. Hose Co #1 was organized on Oct. 6, 1894 with a meeting of 11 organizers at the Town Office building. Hose co #2 was organized about a year later. Neither had permanent quarters right away.
Hose # 2 erected their building first in 1897 and the Elm Street station for # 1 was finished in 1899. My grandfather, Francis Pilling, always stated the Pilling Brothers built Hose Company #1 and Hose Company #2 and the Glendale station but not Interlaken. Hose Company #2 have put a 30-feet and 3 inches flag staff on the front end of their cozy house on Church street, surmounted by a handsome gilt ball and on all public or holiday the company will throw to the breeze their beautiful flag, which is 5 by 8 feet in size.” The Berkshire County Eagle, 1897, “Ground was broken last week on the fine little plot of ground on Elm street known as the old South School district grounds, and which is very dear to the hearts of us older people who took our elementary lessons in the old academy which stood on this very site. The hose house for company No. 1, which is to be built this coming winter by the well-known building firm, the Pilling Brothers, on this lot, will be somewhat larger than the one on Church street, and some of the taxpayers re wondering why it could not have been planned to have built it large enough to have a good size public hall on the second floor. No town in the state is as much in need of a good large, as well as convenient public hall as Stockbridge. Even dramatic readings and high school graduating exercises have to be taken to the Congregational church or to its parlors to find decent place. The old town hall has served its day and generation and now is old enough to be put on the retired list.
