Blair City Hall and Fire Hall

Blair City Hall and Fire Hall. , The old Fire Hall on Lincoln Street was replaced in 1912 by this two-story building built by Peter Kiewit Company of Omaha. The firemen started a fund in 1908 to raise money for a bigger facility, and by 1912 had enough to build a combined fire hall and city offices. It was a magnificent building that served many purposes. The upper level could hold 600 people for events and dancing, and it became a popular event center for weddings. The bell from the original firehouse was placed on the east side of the building. It was pulled by ropes on the ground, making an enormous sound to call the firemen and announce evening curfew. The bell was donated to the CCC camp in the 1930s, then would eventually find a home with the historic Congregational Church, where it was reconditioned and rededicated in 2020. , “A very handsome well-built city building was erected of pressed brick in 1912. In this are kept the city offices, the fire department, and other city works, including water and light offices. It is just across the street south from the Government post office building.” (History of Dodge and Washington Counties, Nebraska. 1921) , “Street paving commenced in 1920 and the contract was let to an Omaha firm to lay a cement-base brick paving over the streets of Blair during 1920-21 to the amount of sixty-seven blocks, or equal to about four and one-half miles.” (The Pilot. 1920) Dick Lippincott, long time Blair resident, remembered watching the 1920 brick laying at the intersection of the City Hall and old Post Office. He was a child of 5 or 6 but recalled the crews worked in the evening as it was summer and how they poured tar and then sand over the bricks once they were laid to lock them in place. , Over the years since 1920, many of Blair's original brick streets were torn up and replaced with concrete or asphalt. Washington Street, Blair's wide main street, was completely paved in brick as this photo from the northwest corner of 17th and Washington shows. , The Blair Historic Preservation Alliance came into existence in 2001 when a proposal was made to tear up all of Grant Street and modernize the paving. A group of concerned citizens united to “save the bricks” and the proposal was put on hold. By 2020, technology improved to the point that brick street repair could be accomplished on a smaller scale. The Blair City Council voted to repair the existing brick streets and budget for annual maintenance as needed.