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Summary

The site of an early 20th century Fire Station at Amen Corner on Church Street in Luton. The building is a brick construction with 2 flattened arches with keystones on the ground floor. The upper storey had narrow windows and one centrally located oriel window. Below all the first floor windows is a string course, and above the windows is a header which reads "Fire Station 1901". Over the centre of the building is a small gable end with decorative work, the roof is tiled and a tower is located to the corner of the building with dormer windows in the roof.

Full Description

<1> Luton News, Scene Again (Newspaper Article). SBD10586.

This carefully posed photograph shows a horse-drawn fire tender and escape ladder of the Luton Fire Brigade standing outside the Fire Station at Amen Corner in Church Street.
It was taken shortly after the official closing in 1902 (despite the date of 1901 on the building fascia! But that's another story). The name Amen Corner was a local term or colloquialism for the junction of Church Street and St Mary's Road near the North Gate of the churchyard.
Due to the building of St Mary's Road where the Electricity Works were erected and various road widening schemes, the boundary of the one-time burial ground has been altered several times. These alterations have been noted on a stone tablet which can be seen mounted in the churchyard wall.
Prior to the occupation of the Church Street Fire Station, Luton's firefighters had occupied several different sites ranging from the basement of the Old Corn Market House, where the equipment mainly comprised hatchets and hooks for pulling burning thatch from cottage roofs, to being squeezed into a corner of the Parish Church, under an unused gallery where a four-man hand-operated pump was kept.
Before moving to the new premises at Amen Corner the fire station had been situated in Stuart Street almost opposite George Street West, where two horse-drawn tenders were housed. At this time the Chief Constable was also the Fire Chief and had an office in the Police Station.
Towards the end of the 19th century Luton had the advantage of having two Water Towers, built on high ground on either side of the Lea Valley, which could supply water under pressure to the many hydrants placed at strategic points throughout the town. This meant that in Luton it was unnecessary to have steam-operated pumps on the fire tenders, as was the case in most other towns and cities.
Up until 1914, Luton's fire brigade was made up of unpaid volunteers but with the out-break fo the Great War a paid brigade was established and the horse-drawn tenders replaced by motorised fire-engines.
Many years ago I remember listening to an ancient fireman, with whom I happened to be working, telling tales of the halcyon days of highly polished brass helmets and gleaming uniform buttons. He told me of one particular fire he attended where "the firemen got so close to the fire that the heat melted their metal tunic buttons". Now that's a tall story if you like!

<2> www.dunstabletoday.co.uk, Accessed 7/5/2014 (Website). SBD11765.

The main fire station was in Stuart Street, but a new station was built in Cchurch Street, next to St Mary's Hall, in 1876.
Until 1914 the firemen were part-time and voluntary and were called from their homes or places of work when there was a blaze.
It was then that a nucleus of full-time firemen was recruited and the first motor engines replaced the old popular horses.
In 1930 Luton had the most serious fire in its recent history when Vyse's hat factory in Bute Street was gutted and eight people were killed.
The Church Street fire station was replaced by one in Park Street in 1940 before Beds County Council provided the then very modern station in Studley Road in 1956.

Protected Status: None recorded

Monument Type(s):

• FIRE STATION (Victorian to Second World War - 1876 AD to 1940 AD)

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events: None recorded

Sources and Further Reading

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