Posted: May 6, 2009

Old Fire Station 3 will become part of the New Berlin Historic Park, the New Berlin Common Council decided April 28. Some details need to be worked out and a final agreement needs to be signed.

The old station, at 19885 W. National Ave., is being replaced by a new station under construction on Racine Avenue, north of National Avenue. The new station should be ready for occupancy this summer.

Old Station 3 is just west of New Berlin Historic Park, and the historic buildings in the park are maintained by the New Berlin Historical Society. The old fire station was a Studebaker dealership in the 1950s and '60s before it became a fire station.

The city's Building Maintenance Department now uses a portion of the building as a shop, and aldermen struggled with where to move that operation. That decision and who will have responsibility for maintenance of the building are yet to be determined.

Ideas about use abound

Alderman Dave Ament, who proposed the change in ownership, said it has long been understood the historical society would take over the building when the new station is done. He envisions the old fire station as a place to put a small theater to show a video featuring historic New Berlin.

The building now houses some Fire Department equipment, but Historical Society President David Totten said he hopes the building could house the Fire Department's antique fire truck someday and the society's collection of fire and police equipment. He also would like to use the building for historical society office space, conference rooms and an area to display photos and other exhibits.

But the historical society does not have any definite plans for the building so far. Totten said he thought it could be fall before the historical society even gets the keys to the building. Historical society offices would be the first to move in.

It could be a year before the building is set up for exhibits and ready for public tours, Totten said.

He would like to feature the old building as a Studebaker dealership.

"My vision is to have an old Studebaker parked out front at appropriate occasions," he said.

Totten said perhaps part of the building could have a fire department theme and the rest, a car dealership theme.

But that has not been decided yet.

Orchard interested in space

Ken Weston, who grew up across the road at the Weston Apple Orchards, said the building was constructed for the Studebaker dealership about 1952 or 1953 by Fred Zacher, whose father farmed the land.

Weston still raises antique apple varieties at the orchard and runs the orchard business. But his family donated the property to the city to be part of New Berlin Historic Park. The donation requires the orchards to remain in perpetuity.

He is happy to have the old fire house as part of the park and hopes he might be able to use the building for the horticulture classes he runs.

"They have been quite successful," he said of the classes. "It would give us a bigger space to use."

Weston recalls the old dealership sold Willys Jeeps, too, and at one time Zacher tried to sell him a Jeep for the orchards.

"I have fond memories of that building," Weston said.

Totten said the historical society might ultimately invest $10,000 to restore, refurbish and adapt the building to the society's needs. In this effort, the society will benefit from volunteer labor, donations and from reserve funds it has built up.

 

John Schultz can be reached at (262) 446-6611.

Next Steps

• city attorney to draft a formal agreement between the city and Historical Society

• Common Council to approve the agreement

• Historical society discussions on how the building will be used