The story of the Owatonna fire station begins in 1903. The land that the station sits on was bought by the Fire Department Relief Association in 1903. These two lots were west of the Metropolitan Theater, and they were donated to the city in 1905 for the purpose of building a new city hall / fire station. In return, the fire department would use the main floor for storage of equipment and would have a 25-year lease for the third floor of the building.
In March 1906, the city approved a bid for $19,643 for a new city hall / fire station. Construction began in September 1906 and an opening celebration was held on October 5, 1907, with a banquet and dance. The City and Fire Department shared the building until 1974, when city offices moved to the new West Hills complex. A truck bay was added in 1975 to the east side of the building for a new 75-foot Mack aerial truck. The bay had to be added because the floor of the existing building was not adequate to hold the weight of the new truck.
In 1996, the fire station underwent a major remodel. The single truck bay was demolished, and a new four stall truck bay was added. The first floor went from being a garage to the current layout consisting of offices, training room, and situation room. The second floor was converted from offices and living quarters to only living quarters.
The last renovations were made in 2008 when the front portion of the third floor was remodeled into a meeting room and an elevator was installed. The fire station continues to stand the test of time and proudly watches over downtown Owatonna, as it has for over 118 years.
