Thirty-five years after it was replaced by a newer, bigger and more modern fire station, the old Hardin fire station, built in the early 1950s, is no more. It was bulldozed to the ground this week.
According to Hardin Fire Chief Craig Powell, the building had outlived its usefulness to the agency and would have been too expensive to repair.
“It would have taken $70,000 to fix that building. We couldn’t keep pouring money into it, so we are tearing it down and will use that space for now for parking,” Powell said.
The chief says he hated to see the old fire station go, but the building’s condition was worsening.
“The roof is leaking. Water would come in around the bottom of the building and the mortar is wearing out between the bricks,” he said. “It was a hard decision because it was historical for us.”
The slab for the current fire station was poured in 1983 and the metal structure was completed in 1984.
Powell has Hardin VFD chief for 10 years.
Note: Photos for this article were graciously provided by Stephanie Clements Johnson, board member of Liberty County ESD 7
