New Firehouse Update – 2023!
March 16, 2023 Update:
We are nearing completion of our new firehouse! The framing and walls are up, finishes being completed, utilities getting finalized and simply preparing for final inspections and move-in.
November 13, 2022 Update:
Why the tree on the roof you ask?
Here’s a quick lesson on “topping out”
The putting the last structural steel beam or final roofing piece in place on a building is a project milestone. To celebrate, many contractors place an evergreen on top of the building, which often gets the Christmas touch during the holiday season. The evergreen usually stays on top until the building is finished.
It turns out that this construction celebration has ancient roots. The most widely cited story credits pre-Dark Age Scandinavian cultures, with the practice of placing a tree on the top of a new building to appease the tree dwelling spirits of their ancestors that had been displaced, or for cutting trees for lumber (Teutonic Tribes) to ward off evil spirits (originators of the Christmas tree tradition).
In those days, everyone pitched in to help a farmer build a new house or barn. The community would contribute their labor until the ridge pole, the highest horizontal beam, was in place. At that point, to express his appreciation, the farmer would have a party for all his friends. An evergreen tree was placed on the highest point of the structure for good luck, and to indicate to all that the building was nearing completion and a celebration was in order. The practice migrated to England with Scandinavian invaders in the mid to late 8th century and took root there.