By Matthew Saari

Earlier this year the Whitehall Volunteer Fire Company’s firehouse was one of 23 properties that were submitted to the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

The state recently announced to county, town and village officials that the firehouse made it and is now named to the state registry of historic places.

“Following a detailed review, the State Review Board has recommended to the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation…that the [WVFC firehouse] be listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and nominated to the National Register of Historic Places,” wrote R. Daniel Mackay, deputy commissioner of historic preservation of New York state.

Simply achieving a nomination is an ordeal, involving the completion of a nearly 40-page document detailing the property’s historic merits. All told, WVFC president Brian Brooks said he dedicated more than a year to completing the paperwork and communicating with the state to accomplish this feat.

“It’s been on my mind for years,” he said.

The firehouse was built in 1913. Brooks said the remarkable history of the building is intrinsically tied to its past and present purpose.

This is only a preview of the story published in the Whitehall Times. To read the full story, pick up a print copy of this week’s paper at the newsstand or read it online here.