On an overcast and cold February afternoon, Kim Robinson stepped inside Milwaukee Fire Station No. 2. The station, which also serves as the fire administration building, nearing its 60th anniversary next month since its dedication in 1961.
The connections between present, and past, are not lost on Robinson as he walked through the large first-floor garage, climbed the steps and walked the third-floor halls with Chief Aaron Lipski. Lipski points out much of the layout and design of the station and administration offices at 711 W. Wells Street has gone unchanged over the years. Utilitarian. The first-floor garage with large bay doors to accommodate the larger fire trucks, compared to the turn-of-the-century firehouses built when fires were fought with horse-drawn wagons. Form fitting function. Not much flare, but touches here and there making clear what era it was built. The conference room featuring a brushed metal clock built into the wall.