Fire Station #17/National Road Marker and Westside Community Health Center & National Road Maker

Use Policy

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.

Location

Columbus, OH, USA, Columbus, Ohio, 43215
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