A building created to segregate Black and white firefighters in Springfield will be preserved for the sake of history.
Engine House No. 5, formerly known as the city’s “colored firehouse,” will be restored to its former condition, complete with a façade.
“Those firefighters fought fires that were set during the 1908 race riots so it’s historical for the resilience of Black people and the city,” said ACLU president Kenneth Page. A reception will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the firehouse, located at 1310 E. Adams St., to share its history and restoration plan.
Engine House No. 5, built in 1901, was abandoned after a section of the floor caved in and led the crew to move into new headquarters on Clay Street in 1954, according to sangamoncountyhistory.org. The building has been occupied by Central Lodge No. 3 of the Prince Hall Masons since the 1970s.
“William Donegan, one of the business owners who was lynched in the race riots, was a Prince Hall Mason and junior warden at Central Lodge No. 3,” said Page, who is also a Free Mason. “The Masons commemorated him at the time of his death so it’s coming full circle that we bought the building and now are restoring it. We want people to see and know that building.”
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The restoration project for the two-story building includes placement of a new façade and the transformation of its ground floor, according to Page.
“The ground floor will be a museum with a theme of ‘Battling Fires and Racism’. It’ll include memorabilia and things that had to do with segregation at that time.”
Funding for the restoration partially comes from a state grant of more than $300,000, secured by Illinois State Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield). Turner advocated for the restoration during her time on Springfield City Council and took it with her to the senate.
“Springfield Engine House No. 5 is part of the city’s history and it’s important we preserve it so future generations can learn about our community and the impact African Americans had on it,” Turner said. “The museum will be there and events will be held in it so it’ll be a vibrant place in the community and a living testament to the contributions made by African Americans.”
While an exact date for restoration has yet to be set, architects are currently revising the plans, according to Page. Sarah Goleman, secretary for the Downtown Springfield Heritage Foundation, said the building’s restoration is long overdue.
“For a while now we’ve been trying to really highlight the race riots and other pieces of Springfield’s history that are less Lincoln-based and less beautiful,” Goleman said. “We have a lot of history here that we need to learn from and celebrate but it hasn’t been seen, so it’s exciting to see so many folks get together so we can get the project going.”