Columbia Fire Department burns a new label
By Michael Orr

The drill tower of the Columbia Fire Department

On May 17, 1951, the Columbia Fire Department opened the doors to its brand new headquarters at 1001 Senate Street. The station was rumored to be the largest fire station in the country at the time with eight bays and the most advanced control room yet seen. The new building stood on the corner of Senate and Park Streets with a six- story drill tower looming overhead. The Fire Department was on Senate until 1995 when it was abandoned in favor of a new location on Laurel Street. In the intermittent decade, the building has been used largely as storage by the city and has fallen into disrepair.

In 2006, Tom Prioreschi of Capitol Places was the highest bidder on the lot where the fire station and drill tower stand. Having made an influential mark on the redevelopment of Main Street with apartment and condominium buildings, Prioreschi plans to transform 1001 Senate in a similar vein.

Like many older building in Columbia, 1001 Senate is a prime candidate for what those in the field of historic preservation call recycling. Often the tag of restoration or preservation is placed on such efforts, but Dr. Bob Weyeneth of the USC Public History Department says those descriptions can be misleading. "Restoration takes a building back to a particular moment in time while preservation preserves every historical layer," Weyeneth explains.

The Columbia Fire Department was at 1001 Senate Street until 1995. Photos by Morgen Young

Prioreschi will not try to recreate the exact layout and physical characteristics of the fire station as it appeared in say, 1951, as has been done with Colonial Williamsburg. The fire station will become an example of adaptive use or in-fill development. Instead of turning the building into a museum or reusing it again as a fire station, 1001 Senate will be home to commercial, retail, and residential space.

The location will likely be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As a requirement for such a distinction, a developer must preserve certain character- defining features. In this case, the bays, façade and drill tower will remain integral parts of the new design.

Ordinarily, according to Dr. Weyeneth, a 75- year period exists before buildings are appreciated archi- tecturally. In the reinvention of the 56- year- old fire station, Weyeneth sees the 1001 Senate project as an important step in how historic preservation is viewed in Columbia. Not only are massive mills or 19th- century façades available to be valued and reused, but also structures that are from a more recent past are worth investing time, effort and historical study.

While construction is likely a year away, plans for 1001 Senate are well underway. A residential building, aimed at attracting young professionals in low- to- moderately priced units, will be constructed behind the fire station and the drill tower will be part of the new structure. The station building itself will be used as commercial space for local businesses, largely on the second floor. Food and dining options will be on the first floor.

Prioreschi has been aided in his planning by the runners- up of the bidding process, brothers Elie and Ghazi Abikhaled of A Taste of the South. The Abikhaleds' S.C.- based food products will be part of the dining options and available retail food at 1001 Senate. Working with Fred Delk of the Columbia Development Corporation, the group hopes to provide customers with cooking classes and tastings in the restaurants and delis.