A settlement agreement with an insurer has cleared the way for extensive repair work — costing approximately $700,000 — on the former Central Fire Station that was heavily damaged by straight-line winds more than two years ago in downtown Hopkinsville. Scaffolding was erected at the front of the structure this week in preparation for work.
The Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County and the Local Development Corp. recently announced plans for the repairs at the historic East Ninth Street building, which houses the Woody Winfree Fire-Transportation Museum. The damages resulted from a severe storm on March 31, 2023, which blew out several windows and portions of exterior brick walls. Two faces of the town clock were also damaged.
LDC, one of the downtown development arms of Community and Development Services, owns the property. The local museum is the tenant.
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In a press release, officials with the two agencies said they “appreciate the patience of the community as we worked through a very complicated process with this project. We are dedicated to caring for this building and honoring its history as we bring it back to life as a useful, contributing piece of downtown Hopkinsville.”
The process included reaching an agreement for the insurance payment, in addition to conducting an architectural assessment of the damages and securing bids from contractors.
Holly Boggess, assistant director for CDS and the Downtown Renaissance director, addressed several follow-up questions from Hoptown Chronicle.
The insurer, Tokio Marine HCC-Public Risk Group, claims administrator for U.S. Specialty Insurance Co., paid $727,615 to LDC, Boggess said in an email.
Repairs set to restore facades, windows by March
The repairs will “retain both the structural and historic integrity of the building,” according to the press release. This will include:
- Reconstruction of the south and east facades
- Reconstruction of the parapet [a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the roof’s edge] on the south facade
- Replacement of a steel lintel on the south facade
- Reconstruction and replacement of damaged windows
LDC contracted with REB Architects, of Nicholasville, for $49,700 on the design phase and with C&C Contracting, Russellville, for $644,982 on construction, Boggess told Hoptown Chronicle. Both firms also worked on the Pennyroyal Area Museum’s rehabilitation in 2019-20.
Boggess said officials estimate the work on the building will take six months, with completion anticipated by March 3.
“Liquidated damages may be applied in the amount of $250 per day if a request for an extension has not been submitted and approved,” Boggess said, referring to the agreement with C&C Contracting.
Clock tower repairs
Repairs to the clock tower, including some related to the storm and some dealing with maintenance to the inner-workings of the clock that the museum was considering before the storm, are not included in the scope of work for C&C Contracting, said museum executive director Alissa Keller. A company specializing in that type of work — which the museum was interested in seeking input from — has gone out of business. So that aspect of the project, including a cost estimate, is pending for the clock tower portion of the structure.
The museum previously held a “Back to the Future” block party as a fundraiser in October 2023 to “Save the Clock Tower.” The event, intended to raise awareness of the historic structure and money for repair issues that existed even before the storm, netted approximately $6,700 that went to the museum’s building fund, said Keller.
Century-old fire station remains a community landmark
The Woody Winfree Fire-Transportation Museum opened in 2008. It was purchased in 1997 from Centre College, which received the property in a bequest from the estate of Christian County agri-businessman Golladay LaMotte, who died in 1996.
Today it houses several old vehicles, including a 1927 Chevrolet pumper fire truck, a 1909 Buick, a 1926 Model T Ford touring car — and buggies and wagons from the era of horse-drawn transportation. The vehicles were not damaged in the 2023 storm.
The two-story, brick fire station was constructed in 1924 to replace Hopkinsville’s previous Central Fire Station, which stood at the same location from 1905 to 1924. The original building was destroyed in a fire.
The clock tower atop the building is approximately 65 feet tall. Painted bright red and white, it has become a symbolic image for Hopkinsville and appears in numerous graphics for local organizations, including Hoptown Chronicle.
During the coronavirus pandemic, when Gov. Andy Beshear asked Kentuckians to display green porch lights as symbols of compassion and renewal, green lights were also installed in the clock tower. The lights cast a green glow through the four clock faces at night during the pandemic.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
