An ‘exemplary’ project: Old Bank Street Firehouse considered for upcoming architectural guidebook
Thrifty New Englanders tend to think twice about tossing something that might be useful in the future. It seems like architects sometimes think the same way when it comes to buildings. Sure, the wrecking ball and new construction might seem convenient, but clever restoration work can yield amazing community benefits.
A collage showing the Old Bank Street Firehouse and the Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve. Photos courtesy of HFA (1929 Maxim fire engine), Gerry Beetham (tree swallow & firehouse), and Steve and Eileen Furlong (aerial Cold Brook Preserve photo).
Architects call this method “adaptive reuse,” and folks in Harwich can see an excellent example of this approach at the Old Bank Street Firehouse.
Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT) collaborated with the Harwich Fire Association (HFA) on this ambitious restoration project, and the Boston Society for Architecture (BSA) has taken notice. The society has asked HCT and HFA to contribute to an upcoming adaptive reuse guidebook, calling the Old Bank Street Firehouse restoration an “exemplary” project.
The BSA is developing the guidebook, titled “What Is Adaptive Reuse: Practical Solutions for the Cape & Islands,” to focus on ways to create housing through the reuse method. According to the BSA, the guidebook will act as a comprehensive resource and offer best practices advice about the process.
The town’s first firehouse
The Harwich Fire Department traces its roots to the firehouse which sits at 203 Bank Street. The station opened circa 1927 and remained the department’s home until the operations moved to the current facility on Sisson Road in the mid-90s. In 2022, HCT and HFA partnered to purchase the 2-acre town property, which is comprised of four parcels.
This past winter, the 11,000 square foot parcel on which the Old Bank Street Firehouse sits was conveyed from the HCT-HFA partnership to HFA individually and the other three parcels were conveyed to HCT individually. HCT and HFA have mutual easement or access rights across portions of the parcels.
The beautifully restored Old Bank Street Firehouse.
HCT owns the adjacent 66-acre Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve, where a multi-partner rewilding effort resulted in restoration of 44 wetland acres, a mile of stream, and a new half-mile All Persons Trail, which allows people of all abilities and ages to enjoy nature. The Cold Brook Eco-Restoration earned two top statewide awards last year for its innovation and collaborative elements.
HFA restored the firehouse under the leadership of HFA President Bruce Young and HFA Member and former Harwich Fire Chief Norm Clarke, creating space to host community gatherings, including a full kitchen. The firehouse restoration with three affordable rental apartments on the second floor was made possible by Town Community Preservation Act funds and the Town Affordable Housing Trust as well as many donors. The firehouse is also home to the town’s first motorized fire engine, a 1928 Maxim, which has also been restored to gleaming glory.
Working together
At last year’s Cape Cod Land Conservation Legislative Day event, hosted by HCT at the firehouse, Hadley Luddy, State Representative from the 4th Barnstable District called the HCT/HFA partnership an “exciting initiative,” adding that “it’s so terrific to see where conservation and restoration can also address things like affordable housing needs.”
The trailhead at the Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve.
Jeff Handler, Harwich Select Board Member, also spoke at the event, praising the partnerships that restored land, preserved a historic building and created affordable housing. “These kinds of complex projects can only be made possible when people and organizations work together,” he said.
The BSA’s Adaptive Reuse guidebook is slated to be released later this year. It will be designed to provide realistic pathways for stakeholders to utilize the reuse method to create housing in the region, highlighting replicable strategies, cost considerations, along with regulatory and financing guidance.
HCT and HFA are grateful to our many partners and donors who have made these projects possible and we look forward to the guidebook’s publication. In the meantime, if you haven’t seen the firehouse or the Cold Brook Preserve in a while, take a spin down Bank Street, have a look and take a hike. It’s a true gem in the heart of Harwich Port!
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