Old Fire Station No 5
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
The history of locations isn’t always cut and dry. Their stories are scattered across filing cabinets, gravestones, and old maps, always waiting for someone to put the pieces together. We encountered this with one of our newest locations – Old Fire Station No 5 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. With some detective work and persistence, what we unraveled was a surprising narrative of everyday life.
Old Fire Station No 5 was designed by William C Northup and constructed by the Fogle Brothers in 1924. The brick building featured all the trappings of a usual fire station – a tower to hang dry hoses, the signature fireman’s pole, and a cement placard on its front. As its name implies, the fire station wasn’t the first to service Winston-Salem. Nevertheless, its lifespan was a long one; it operated for 53 years until it was decommissioned in 1977. As the building’s time as a fire station ended, it would continue serving Winston-Salem. Based on a deed from 1981, the property was transferred over to the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association for roughly $10.00. Not long after its purchase the building became public housing for low-income residences. Its history during this period remains elusive. Stories account for at least 20 deaths taking place on the property, along with a resident-Shaman who cast spells on the building and their neighbors. While we couldn’t find records that matched these tales, our search is only beginning. What we can say, however, was at least one confirmed death occurred in the building. In 2013, a man suddenly died from a heart attack in his apartment. As of 2022, this fire station is entering a new phase of its life. It was recently purchased with the hopes to turn it into a private residence. This story, like so many others, will undoubtedly grow over time. And sometimes that is the beauty of what we do. Even when our paranormal investigation ends, the search to give locations a voice always continues. We made our first visit to this fascinating location this past June, along with our friends at Carolina Haints, who connected us to the new owner of this impressive location. We look forward to our next visit. |
Investigation at this location:
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