 History: Station 3 was originally located at
135 E. Hargett Street. It opened in February
1913, and was the third of the three fire stations first staffed with career
firefighters. Hose Company 3 was placed in service with a horse-drawn hose
wagon. It was motorized in November 1914 with a 1912 American LaFrance
combination hose car.
Built in 1898, the former quarters of the volunteer Victor Company cost $2,900 to build including the $800 lot. Designed by Charles B. Park, it replaced an earlier building at the corner of Salisbury and Davie streets that was destroyed by a fire on April 7, 1897. The Hargett Street fire station was a two-story structure with a drive-through apparatus bay. The building measured approximately 40 by 25 feet. By May 1917, the city scales were moved from the "old city lot on South Salisbury Street" to the Station 3 site. This was reported on May 3, 1917. In November 1917, Station 3 was closed and the hose company was moved to Station 1 on West Morgan Street. The building and its site would be sold by the city. This was reported on November 11, 1917. In September 1918, the old station was "secured" for use as "Military Police Headquarters" in the city. This was reported on September 18, 1918. The station site was reportedly sold on June 11, 1919, with the proceeds planned for a new Station 3 to be erected on East Martin Street at Swain Street. The new station was planned as a one-story bungalow style, with five bedrooms, bath, and truck space. In September 1919, the Station 3 building was reopened as temporary quarters for Hose Company 3, until the new station could be built. In November 1919, the city announced that plans for a new Station 3 were abandoned, due to the project cost being higher than the available funds. The sale of the property is cancelled. On July 26, 1951, a new Station 3 opened at 13 S. East Street. Built by John Coffey and Son Construction Company, the 3,564 square-foot, $35,000 facility was manned by eight firefighters. It was built upon the recommendation of the National Board of Fire Underwriters to have a fire station closer to the city's eastern residential section. Old Station 3 was demolished in the spring of 1952. Used cars were stored in the building, which was leased by Carolina Motor Sales. They continued to lease the lot after it was cleared. Mini 3 was placed in service on August 18, 1986, with one of three 1986 Chevrolet brush trucks purchased by the fire department. It was moved to Station 2 in 2005 and returned to Station 3 in 2006. Mini 3 was renamed Mini 2 on July 7, 2009. Station 3 also housed a rescue company from 1976 to 1978, and a brush truck circa 1983 to 1985. Engine 3 has operated many makes and model years of apparatus over the years, including American LaFrance (1951, 1968), Mack (1973, 1982), Pemfab/EEI (1986), Pierce (1997, 2006), Pierce/EEI (1990), and Spartan/Quality (2001). On April 27, 2026, Engine 3 was relocated to new Station 3 at 936 Rock Quarry Road. Planning for the replacement station was underway as early as 2014. Land was sought near the intersection of Rock Quarry Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. The relocation would address a “coverage gap” between the current Station 3 and the response area of Station 10. It would also eliminate “redundant response coverage” downtown, due to the close proximity of Station 3 to Station 1. Land was sought near the intersection of Rock Quarry Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. The relocation would address a “coverage gap” between the current Station 3 and the response area of Station 10. It would also eliminate “redundant response coverage” downtown, due to the close proximity of Station 3 to Station 1. On November 7, 2017, city council approved purchase a portion of a parcel at 1034 Bragg Street. It was currently owned by the state Department of Corrections. The city was seeking about 1.74 acres for the future fire station. The parcel was appraised at $300,000. On May 18, 2021, city council authorized a contract with Huffman Architects for the design. On August 20, 2024, city council awarded the construction bid to TCC Enterprises. By October 8, 2024, clearing of the construction site had started. Last updated: April 26, 2026
First Station 3 - Hargett Street
This page was last updated on 04/26/26 08:48:30 PM |
