In 1927, Fire Station #2 was constructed at 1314 Harris Avenue in Fairhaven. The Spanish Mission-style building was designed by local Bellingham architect Frederick Stanley Piper, who designed many historical Bellingham buildings, including the Grand Theatre and the former Great Northern Railroad depot along Roeder Avenue.
The building served as a firehouse for over 70 years until the completion of the new Station #2, just up the block, signaled its retirement. The city placed it on the Local Historical Register, and it was sold to the Christman family in 2002. After a remodel, the building reopened in 2006 as the Firehouse Performing Arts Center, with a cafe adjacent to the events center.
In 2018, Teresa Dalton purchased the property from the Christman family and renamed it the FireHouse Arts & Events Center. Her commitment remains the same: to connect the community through arts and free events, and to provide a relaxing gathering space for locals to exchange gossip over morning coffee.
Photograph by Ben Stainbrook
“I really didn’t grasp what the FireHouse meant to the community here until I purchased it,” says Dalton. “It was totally on the fly. I had no idea what I was getting into, and I’ve never worked so hard in all my life since I bought this place.”
After purchase, Dalton got the firehouse back on the map and managed to book a full summer of shows before the pandemic shutdown. It was the cafe that would come to the rescue: because a walk-up window was already in place, it remained open while everything else in Fairhaven closed. With nowhere else to go for morning coffee, community members turned to the firehouse, where they could get their caffeine fix and safely social distance.
“We kind of just became this great community gathering spot, you know? People stand 15 feet away and talk to each other,” says Dalton. “So our cafe business actually picked up during COVID. A lot of people came here that didn’t know we existed, and then they just never left.”
Photograph by Ben Stainbrook
As a survivor of the pandemic, FireHouse also saw increased performing arts traffic. Their performance space, FireHouse Studio, features a gorgeous wooden floor “specifically designed to meet the needs of dancers and athletes.” They have a retractable stadium seating system that can fit more than 80. They’re the home venue for Jazz Center of Bellingham’s packed schedule of jazz concerts, and Bellingham TheatreWorks, comedians, and musicians also frequently perform at FireHouse. They even host dance and fitness classes!
Be sure to check out the website for a schedule of events, ticket prices, and other information regarding parking and seating. Outdoor events take place on the Garden Stage just outside the cafe, though they are “weather permitting.” And keep an eye out for future announcements regarding the 100th Anniversary of the firehouse in 2027! 1314 Harris Ave., Bellingham, firehouse-aec.com
