TRAPPE, MD. - The oldest operating fire station in Talbot County, home to the Trappe Volunteer Fire Company, is showing its age. Built in 1951, the station is plagued by structural issues, prompting a push for a new facility.
Historical images from the Talbot County Historic Society reveal newspaper articles and celebrations from 1951, marking the firehouse’s construction. The fire company originally operated from what is now the Trappe Town Office in 1935. However, Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Newnam says the current building has exceeded its life expectancy and is now a safety concern.
"There are numerous cracks within the block walls from the very front to the very back of the firehouse," Newnam explained. "Left unchecked, the walls could collapse, and everything inside the firehouse would be under all the rubble."
The fire company has also outgrown the building. "Modern fire apparatus is much larger than what the firehouse was originally built for," Newnam said. "We face many size restrictions with our current fire trucks, to the point where we have to custom order or custom build them."
Plans for a new fire station are already in motion. Newnam outlined that they will demolish the existing house next door and construct a new station in that space. "This firehouse will hold all the apparatus until the new one is completed. Once that is done, everything will transition to the new firehouse, and the old one will be demolished," he said.
The firehouse has raised $450,000 of its $6 million budget. They will be fundraising at this weekend's annual Trappe Volunteer Fire Company Fair.
