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STAFF REPORT CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS Date: 01-23-03 Application Number: 2003-1031 Property Location: 701 Portage Avenue Property Owner: City of South Bend; South Bend Civic Theater (leasee) Landmark or District Designation: Local Landmark Rating: S/12 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE/HISTORIC CONTEXT Firehouse # 6 is one of the oldest firehouses still standing in South Bend and one of several designed by South Bend architect Charles A Brehmer. Planned and built from 1897 to 1898, Brehmer employed Queen Anne details to give this brick hose house its distinctive style including a gabled dormer that creates a third story and elongates the proportions of the building. Brick pilasters with stone capitals support a false brick arch. A convexly curved, corrugated tin canopy shields the firehouse doors. Three cast iron supports designed with a sun and scroll motif support the canopy. Brehmer chose stone, brick, and metals common to his era, but combined them to create a building of remarkable character and stature, one worthy of the community and the men who served it. The triangular plot on which Firehouse #6 now stands has a long connection to South Bend's history. During the Civil War years, the land was used as part of Camp Rose, a training ground for local t: .' troops headed to war. The Saint Joseph County Agricultural Society later owned the land and used it as part of their fair grounds. In December of 1896, the City of South Bend purchased the land from the Agricultural Society and in June of 1897, the City Council passed a resolution to build a Hose House on the property. Firehouse #6 opened on March 9, 1898 and served the North West neighborhoods for almost seventy years. It closed in December of 1967. One month later, the South Bend Civic Theater began to lease the building for one dollar a year as a theater and Workshop. The building continues to serve the community as a space for the performing arts. APPLICATION ITEM 1.) Replacement of the corrugated metal awning (see bid sheets for more details); repair if possible RECOMMENDATION The November 13, 2003 staff report noted the importance of this unique architecture element of Firehouse #6. It is original and perhaps the only original (and corrugated steel) canopy left on any of South Bend's firehouses designed by Charles A Brehmer. Its presence maintains the architectural integrity of the building (S/12) and its historic character as a late 191h century firehouse. It could serve as an educational tool for 19`h metal and steel technology. Presently, some rust has formed on the canopy especially where two layers of steel create a pocket for moisture. Flaking paint and dirt cover the underside of the canopy and the brackets. The paint, rust, and dirt can all be removed with a power washing. A rust -inhibiting metal primer and waterproofing will slow the corrosion rate of the steel and remove potential locations of further corrosion. As shown in the most recent quote, the cleaning and recoating of the metal canopy is feasible and not economically outrageous. Staff recommends the denial of the application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for the replacement of the canopy and recommends repair and maintenance of the canopy instead.