Fire Department Restores Its History
by Denise Wright
When local author Gloria Waldron Hukle (Perreault) drives by the old Hoags Corners fire station near the intersection of Dunham Hollow Road and Route 66, her mind begins to wonder about the story behind the past of the red-sided building with new white trimmed windows. Hoags Corners was at one time quite a little village with several businesses and private residences, and the Hoags Corner Fire Company, whose district covers approximately 32 square miles, does have a story to tell that adds to the rich history of the village.
Hoags Corners, located in East Nassau near the Tsatsawassa Creek, was founded by one of the early tavern keepers, William Hoag, in approximately 1822. The fire company began in 1946 when Justice E. Hall, fire company founder, and first fire chief, became so interested in the fire company and safety of the community he donated the site and the building… as long as it is forever used for firematic purposes.
The fire department originally housed its first truck at the Hoags Corners Casino, where the large parking lot is across from the Hoags Corners tavern. According to Connor Kopcho, fire department sergeant-at-arms and historian, in the early 1950s, the building was moved to its current location. Members of the company moved the building, which was only half the size of what it is now, using a town four-wheel-drive plow to drag the structure. Later, the company added additions to lengthen the building for storage and another fire truck.
This building was used until the 1970s, but as the community’s needs kept growing, the Department saw the need to expand to larger quarters and purchased a new property on Route 66 in 1976. The company, with its 20 active members, moved into the new building in 1979. Once the company moved into the new building, Kopcho commented that the old firehouse became an “eyesore for the village” and was “not in great shape.” Forty-three-year fire company member Trygve Tomlinson commented that it was “good they moved, the property was small and limited.” He mentioned that since trucks have grown in length and depth, the lack of bays made the building “untenable” and “pretty rustic.”
At one point, the fire company looked into selling the property that once even served as a substation for the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Department. Since the property was donated to the company, they were unable to sell it. While tearing the building down was possible, members decided that it would be more cost-effective and appropriate to restore the building. The restoration project began in 2017 with “limited funds.” The fire company removed one of the additions, replaced the roof, poured new concrete footings, and replaced the windows, siding, and furnace. The fire district uses the remodeled back room for its office. The next goal of the company will be to work on the garage bay and the upstairs. “We are presently using the building for storing equipment that we cannot store at our current firehouse.” According to Kopcho, “We may keep a utility truck in the garage, but we will not use it as an active firehouse.”
Gloria Waldron Hukle Perreault’s late mother-in-law, Sylvia, was a Hoag descendant and had strong family ties to the area. Perreault, a member of the Fort Crailo chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, thought it would be wonderful to get a flag placed at the firehouse and, as a remembrance, enlisted the help of her Regent, long time Nassau resident Elizabeth Goodermote. The Chapter is planning on presenting a flag to the company in the upcoming year. According to Goodermote, “Historic Preservation is our main goal” and “as spring approaches, we are looking forward to commemorating the history of the Hoags Corners Fire Company.”