- May 7, 2024
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The Ormond Fire House was buit in 1937. Now a law firm, the building celebrated its 75th anniversary Oct. 14.
BY MATT MENCARINI | STAFF WRITER
The Ormond Fire House, currently home to Snell Legal, celebrated its 75th anniversary Oct. 14 and will be presented with a Florida Historic Marker Thursday, Oct. 25.
The building, located at 160 Granada Blvd., was purchased by Gregory Snell in 2006 and renovated for his practice. It was originally constructed by the Works Progress Administration and stands today as the only structure in Ormond Beach built by that Depression-era federal program.
“My wife liked the building -- I liked it too, but (I) wouldn’t necessarily have pursued owning it and doing the major renovation needed if she hadn’t specifically expressed an interest,” Snell said in an email. “We both have an affinity for older buildings with character.”
The building was constructed as a fire and police station, complete with its own jail. It served in various municipal capacities until Snell began his renovations.
“The renovation process was extensive,” Snell said. “I hesitate to even mention the scope of it because it may give the false impression that there isn’t much original left, which isn’t true. We basically took it down to the original bones, updated everything, and then dressed it back up.”
The renovations were recognized in 2011, with an honorable mention Adaptive Use Award from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.
“Not everybody can or will spend the money to do something like this,” Snell said. “It’s not something you do ... if you’re bottom line-oriented. It’s something you do because it’s important to you on a non-financial level, and you want to do it.”
The building, in addition to being used for a fire house, was once a polling site, hurricane shelter and city court.
