Storm damage closes old Independence Fire Station #1 at Harry S. Truman National Historic Site

INDEPENDENCE, MO — KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Grain Valley. Share your story idea with Claire.

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A storm has forced the closure of historic Old Fire Station #1 in Independence, Missouri, a nearly 100-year-old building that serves as the National Parks Service's Harry S. Truman National Historic Site Visitor Center.

The Labor Day weekend storm left the building's facade with new structural issues, including falling and bulging brickwork.

The building is owned by the city of Independence and used by the National Park Service. The city confirmed engineers assessed the damage on Monday but said it did not have any additional information at the time. The sidewalk in front of the building is closed off.

The National Park Service is currently selling tickets for the Truman sites at the Noland Home, at 216 North Delaware Street from 9 am to 5 pm, while the fire station remains closed. The NPS was already planning to move to a new site on land donated by the city of Independence.

Old Fire Station #1 and four other historic sites are included in a $19.9 million general obligation bond up for voter approval this November 3 to restore and repair the properties.

Rick Webb, president of the Independence 76 Fire Company, works in the basement of the fire house restoring old fire apparatus and emergency equipment. Webb and his crew aren't impacted by the closure upstairs, but he said he would like to see the space turned into a museum or learning center about Independence Fire Department's history.

"We have to preserve our history. Our history is very important. It's a very old city. Our fire department is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, west of the Mississippi. We were incorporated in 1843. The city wasn't incorporated until 1849. So it's very important to preserve our history and learn from our history, so it doesn't repeat itself in a negative way," Webb said.

KSHB 41 News reached out to the visitor center for an update but has not yet heard back.

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