Firthcliffe Firehouse
Why it's listed
Built around 1900 in the hamlet of Firthcliffe, this small brick firehouse at 196 Willow Avenue in Cornwall, Orange County, was meant to protect a community that grew up around the Firthcliffe Mills on Moodna Creek. The square, one-story building has a slate hip roof, a square bell tower on four brick pillars, and a stone watercourse separating the main floor from a concrete basement. A bell-flared gable on exposed wood rafters covers the former engine entrance, which has since been filled in with a window. Inside, a fireman's pole and a wood stair to the bell tower and attic remain, though removable partitions have been added to the once open room. Its size, suited to a single engine, suggests it served a small area. It was listed for architecture as a well-preserved, distinctive example of a small early-twentieth-century firehouse and of the modest civic buildings erected across Cornwall's hamlets during a period of commercial growth. The building is now used as a specialty store.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is architecturally significant as a distinctive, well-preserved example of a small turn-of-the-century firehouse. It shows typical features of the type, including brick construction, a wide engine door, a bell tower and a location close to the community it served. It is also an important local example of small-scale civic architecture built in Cornwall's hamlets in the early twentieth century.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 96000554, listed June 3, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 196 Willow Ave., Cornwall |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | June 3, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000554 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1900 |
| Architectural style | OTHER |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic fire station now used for commercial/specialty store purposes; the interior has had removable wood partitions added and the original engine doors replaced with a window and wall. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.44154, -74.04126 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 96000554.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5454311
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.