By Jennifer Huffman
Napa Valley Register
NAPA, Calif. — Museum.
Open.
Free.
For years, those three simple words on a small sign welcomed visitors to the Napa Firefighters Museum at 1201 Main St.
When the museum closed after the 2014 earthquake, the collection, including the “open” sign and its extensive collection of historic equipment and memorabilia, was distributed for safekeeping to various firehouses and other secure locations across the city.
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The future of the museum remained a big question. More than a decade later, there is an answer.
Napa’s Firefighter Museum has a new home.
In late December, the museum closed on the purchase of a building at the corner of Soscol Avenue and Seventh Street.
“This is amazing,” said Erik Mortimore, president of Napa City Firefighters Association, which is a co-owner of the Napa Firefighters Museum.
After more than a decade on hiatus, “I’m so glad we have a property,” he said.
“We’ve been actively looking for a building, and we finally found one … that fit our budget and space needs,” said Albert Burgess, the president of the museum and also a Napa city firefighter.
The two-story building, with offices in the back, was formerly used by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. as a small electric substation and storage yard. The two buildings total about 3,000 square feet. After it was declared surplus by the utility, it was listed for sale.
Meanwhile, the Firefighters Museum members and volunteers were looking for a new home for the collection, which includes large antique vehicles such as a 1904 steam engine, a 1859 hand pumper and a 1926 fire engine.
Thanks to a specific bequest for a museum from the trust of former firefighter Bill Strohl, the group had some funds set aside for a building. The trick was finding a space they could afford – especially in the pricey Napa Valley.
That’s when the PG&E substation came to their attention. It took several years, but a sale was made. Based on the amount of transfer tax paid, the sale price was $875,000.
Last week, members of the Firefighters Museum and a group of supporters visited the empty substation. It’s narrow but has two stories, they noted. And there’s a secure parking lot.
“This was the first building that we could actually afford, and it just lined up,” said Mortimore.
It’s a relief to finally secure a building, said Scott Wilkes, vice president of the Napa Firefighters Museum and a city of Napa firefighter.
“We’re doing this for the community and for the history of the fire department,” said Wilkes.
Burgess said he envisions the museum as a place where visitors can learn about the long history of the Napa fire department, “get to interact with firefighters or retired firefighters,” and see gear and equipment “from way back then to today.”
PG&E spokesperson Mark van Gorder said he worked with the Firefighter Museum team for a number of years to complete the sale.
The old substation “is a prime location and a great place for them to display all that equipment that they used to have,” he said.
PG&E has a long partnership with local fire departments, according to van Gorder.
“People probably don’t think about how we work with the fire department on a regular basis,” he said. “If there’s a crash, an injury or something that involves our facilities, we’re always working right there, side by side.”
The museum members said buying the building is just the first step. Much work still needs to be done. The main building itself is just a shell – it doesn’t include any heating or air conditioning.
Now the group needs to come up with a timeline and plan of what will fit and where, along with a budget.
“We still got some work to do on how that’s going to actually shake out,” said Mortimore. “We’re optimistic with what we can accomplish, but also very realistic. It’s a big lift.”
“It’s going to be a lot of hard work to reopen,” Wilkes acknowledged.
Most significantly, a fundraising campaign will be launched. Information can be found at the Firefighters Museum page at ncfacharitablefund.org.
“We will be leaning on our community to help us reopen and plan to make this space a public landmark for both tourists and locals,” said the website.
For now, the Napa Firefighters Museum members seemed satisfied they have a new building for the collection.
If you look at the front of the building, “it even looks like an old fire station,” said Wilkes.
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