The original Fire Station #17 was opened in 1913. It was the last engine house built during the horse draw era, but the first not built to house horses, which required a barn, stables, and hayloft. Station 17 had the first gasoline-powered water pumper in the City of Columbus Fire Department, a Seagrave turbine powered pumper. It is stated that the pumper could throw three streams of water over a ten story building. Firefighters from the original station #17 nicknamed themselves “keepers of the hill”… a nickname which is still used today. It was used as the temporary morgue and distribution point for food and displaced persons during the 1913 Flood in Franklinton. A new, one story station, was opened next to its previous location in 1994 – removing the iconic fire pole from use from station 17. At the time the old station 17 closed, it was the third oldest station house in the county.
The original building sat empty until 2009 when it was partially demolished and renovated into the Westside Community Health Center. In addition commemorating the rich history of the old fire station, the health center also features a historical maker for the Old National Road. The Hilltop 2003 Committee sponsored the dedication of the historical marker of U.S. Route 40 as “the National Road” in October 2003. The only one of its kind in the city, the marker explains the importance of the National Road. It was made possible through the generosity of the Ohio Bicentennial Commission and the Longaberger Initiative.
Columbus, OH, USA
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Franklin County
Please note: The Greater Columbus Arts Council (Arts Council) does not own or manage any public art. For the purposes of this database many pieces were entered by the Arts Council while we continue to search for the appropriate owner/manager of the work and other information to complete the entry. The Arts Council has tried to gather all available information about the works in this database, however, we acknowledge there may be missing or inaccurate information. If you can help us correct any inaccuracies, or provide more complete information, we would be grateful. Please use “Something missing? Please send us a note” above.
Taking images of public art works and sharing your experiences is one of the most fun reasons to engage with public art. As a community, we care deeply about the artists who have contributed the artworks we enjoy every day. Please be sure to credit artists when you share your photos. If you have an interest in using public artwork present in this database for commercial purposes, please contact Jami Goldstein at the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Taking your own images of public artwork does not release you from the responsibility of artist credit and/or compensation.
This site is produced and managed by the Greater Columbus Arts Council and supported by the Ohio Arts Council and public art collections across the state. Contributors to the databases to date include collections held by the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, City of Columbus, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Dublin Arts Council, City of Upper Arlington Cultural Arts Department, City of Kettering, Downtown Mansfield Inc., Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Licking County Foundation, Ohio Arts Council’s Percent for Art program, Short North Arts District and the City of Sandusky. The database was funded in part by a grant from the Ohio Arts Council. Research and development support is provided by Designing Local, OSA Technology Partners and Columbus artist Stephanie Rond. The Columbus Makes Art campaign is a citywide, collaborative marketing effort designed to highlight the incredible talent of central Ohio artists. The Greater Columbus Arts Council is supported by the City of Columbus and the Ohio Arts Council.
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