'It's priceless': Apex residents fight to preserve historic downtown firehouse

A mission is underway to preserve a fire station in downtown Apex after its future was left uncertain.

Weeks earlier, the town announced that operations at the station would transfer to its station on Hunter Street, leaving the future of the building housing Station 1 in question. In August, the Apex Town Council will consider a budget and feasibility study for what to do next with the site.

The station began as a three-bay brick firehouse, built by volunteers in 1954. At the time, those who built it didn't know how much it would mean to the community, including veteran firefighter Roy Moore.

"It's a passion of mine; it's a passion of a lot of other people here in Apex," Moore said. 

The passion is clear, as more than 1,000 people have signed a Change.org petition, as part of an effort Moore is leading to "save" the fire station.

"When you come down here to downtown Apex on a Thursday night, Friday, and Saturday night, and you see the people that are out here eating in our social district, and the firemen are interacting with the public, you can't take that away," Moore said. "That price is...it's priceless."

When asked about the future of the fire station, the town shared a post on social media, which read in part: 

"While no decisions have been made about the property’s use, a future concept could provide space for the department’s artifacts, stories, and legacy…The Town will work with a consultant to explore possible future uses for the Station 1 site."

The town already has some idea of what to do. In 2019, the town developed a new downtown plan with renderings of how the updated version would look, including the building that housed Fire Station 1.

Moore says for him, a true commitment to Apex’s history looks like allowing Station One to remain as it is – an operating firehouse in the heart of town.

"It just ruins that character of downtown Apex," Moore said. "This is one of those things that we just need to leave alone."

Moore and other supporters plan to voice their concerns at the next town council meeting on August 11.