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INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 45 Bedford Street <br /> MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. <br /> 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD,BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 <br /> Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. <br /> If checked,you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form. <br /> ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: <br /> Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. <br /> The Lexington Fire Headquarters at 45 Bedford Street is a brick structure designed in the Colonial Revival style which was <br /> favored for the town's buildings in the early to mid 20th century. The northern portion of the structure is a two-story side-gabled <br /> residential structure with 8/8 and 8/12 windows,brick quoins, a Classically-inspired door surround, exterior chimney and curved <br /> first floor bay. The southern section consists of a three-bay,gablefront garage with cupola. The garage section is outlined by <br /> quoins with cornice returns and a fanlight centered at the top of the gablefront. <br /> HISTORICAL NARRATIVE <br /> Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local(or state)history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the <br /> owners/occupants played within the community. <br /> The Lexington Board of Fire Engineers first discussed the idea of a new fire station and location to replace the Meriam Street <br /> station in 1943. At a special town meeting in Jun 1944,town meeting approved the current location and voted$3600 to <br /> purchase the land from Mrs. John Phelps. The sum of$3,750 was appropriated to draw plans and specifications. The building <br /> committee consisted of George W. Emery,Donald E.Nickerson, George C. Sheldon, Gordon D. Richards and Aiden L. Ripley. <br /> The architects were Leland&Larsen who later served as architects for alterations to the First Parish Church in 1948,the <br /> Harrington School in 1955 and the Hayden Recreation Center in 1956. <br /> At town meeting in 1945 $110,000 was appropriated to build the new fire headquarters. Twelve firms were invited to submit <br /> bids and Tredennick-Billings Co. of Needham were subsequently awarded the contract. Work started in April 1946 and <br /> construction was completed in the spring of 1947. On June 8, 1947, after sixty years on Meriam Street,the Fire Department <br /> moved into its new building. At the time of its completion,the Minute-man noted that it is"unique in that none of the living <br /> quarters are over the apparatus floor—an idea that saved considerable money" (June 19, 1947,p. 10). <br /> BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES <br /> Hinkle,Alice and Andrea Cleghorn. Life in Lexington 1946-1995: p. 13. <br /> Lexington Minute-man,June 19, 1947. <br /> Massachusetts State Archives,Building Inspector Plans. <br /> Worthen, Edwin B. A Calendar History of Lexington, Mass. 1620-1946: p. 133. <br /> Continuation sheet 1 <br />