Old Franconia Firehouse (Site)

These coordinates mark the exact spot where the firehouse once stood. No visible remains exist.


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Here follows an article excerpted from the "Franconia Legacies" newsletter published by the Franconia Museum in 2004 and written by Mark Goodheart:

EARLY MEMORY OF THE FRANCONIA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Franconia Volunteer Fire Department (FVFD) was originally a group of neighbors, which served this area. The FVFD also responded to fires in Springfield, because Springfield had no fire department.

After being charted as a volunteer organization, Woody Smith became the first paid fireman and spent most of his time at the station. One enthusiastic volunteer was Pop Prosba, an elderly man who lived on Cobbs Road. He responded to every alarm, day and night, jumping in his car and following the fire engine. An Auxiliary also began. The only charter member still living is Agnes Woolhiser who celebrated her 95th birthday on March 27, 2004. Agnes currently resides in a nursing home in New Market, VA.

After serving as treasurer of the FVFD, Mark Goodheart became President following the death of R. Lee Kennedy, whose demise was the result of smoke inhalation suffered while fighting fire.

The FVFD was housed in a building on Franconia Road where the Franconia Governmental Center now stands before moving to its present location on Beulah Street. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas donated both properties.

During Mark Goodheart's tenure as president, 1949-1951, an addition to the building was constructed. One evening a group who comprised most of the volunteers came to Mark's home and threatened to resign if he gave permission for auxiliary women to canvass the community for donations during daylight hours while the men were at their paid jobs. These firemen thought the revenue would be less than when all collection was done at night from household men. Because the number of firemen available to collect at night was insufficient to cover the territory, auxiliary members were utilized and no fireman resigned! Milton Alexander bravely accepted the mistaken blame from his peers and refused to let Mark lessen his authority by joining the fray in strong support.

Betty Pierce and Marilyn Goodheart were assigned to canvass Beulah Road (now street). A man who had worked at the adjacent gravel pit occupied one of the houses. Betty objected to driving her car up the steep driveway fearing she would need to back down into the road. Therefore, she waited in the car while Marilyn cautiously climbed the hill wondering where the dogs might be and, finding none, kicked her way to the house through beer cans and liquor bottles. The man who answered the door suffered from a very obvious facial cancer. He gave her a $20 bill, a generous donation in those days. More money was given to benefit the Fire Department than had ever been collected in previous years.

During the time Marilyn Goodheart served the Auxiliary as publicity chairman, Joe Alexander (a college student at the time) helped her publicize events through The Alexandria Gazette. His mother, Celia, ran the Franconia Post Office, and his Uncle Bert ran the hardware store, which also became the designated bus stop.

The animated disagreement regarding use of the auxiliary resulted in a suggestion by Paul Newton and Ed Holland that a rescue squad be started using an ambulance being decommissioned by Fort Belvoir. Because Paul and Ed were closely allied with Fort Belvoir, they were able to procure a fully equipped ambulance at no cost. When the motion was presented and voted down, Mark Goodheart suggested forming an independent corporation. After this was accomplished, there was no place to store the ambulance. Finally, FD members were persuaded to permit its storage in the new addition.

The next problem presented to Mark was that the ambulance had no gas and that the new corporation had no funds; at which time Mark reached in his pocket and went on record as contributing the first $10 to the newly-formed rescue squad. When word got out that an operational rescue squad was available, no more problem was met in obtaining needed funds.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Spring 2006 "Franconia Legacies" newsletter published by the Franconia Museum:

“FIRST LADY OF FRANCONIA” - Clara Agnes Bradley Walter
Written by Jac Walker

Franconia was also a family based community beyond the church. Both James and Clara were active in the Franconia Volunteer Fire Department. Clara served as Ladies’ Auxiliary President for five years. During that time, there were many stubborn brush fires in the area, including all of present Springfield. Many fires were sparked from passing trains. Upon notification of a fire, the ladies would immediately gather to make sandwiches and prepare drinks which they delivered to firemen at the site.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Spring 2003 edition of the "Franconia Legacies" newsletter published by the Franconia Museum:

A FRANCONIA AIR RAID
Written by Bob Cooke

By 1944, most able bodied men, and some not so able bodied, had enlisted or been drafted in one of the branches of the Armed Forces. Taking care of the “home front” was left to men too old, or not qualified for the military, women, and teenagers too young to “join up.” I was one of the latter.  Because men were so scarce, and women were not allowed to do many of the manly things they do today, it fell upon teenage boys to do jobs normally reserved for men. One of these jobs was to man the Air Raid telephone at the firehouse. When enemy airplanes were detected heading our direction, we would be notified by telephone. Our job was to turn on the siren to alert all of Franconia within hearing distance that an air raid was underway. Residents were to extinguish all lights and take cover. We never had an actual air raid, but we praciced many times and were always alert to the possibility of the real thing.  We were allowed to sleep while on duty and a small cot was provided. One night when I was on duty, rather than use the cot, I elected to make a bed on the coiled fire hose.

Although the hose was hard, I was tired and young so I slept soundly. During the night a fire call (not an air raid alarm) came in. Fire calls automatically started the siren and caused it to sound three times. That signal awakened the neighborhood and prompted volunteer firemen to hurriedly respond from all directions, answer the phone, get details about the fire, select the proper truck, and go put out the fire. This they did. Fortunately for me, they took engine number one and did not disturb my deep sleep on engine number two.  As they were backing up the truck into the firehouse on their return, talking loudly about the fire and making lots of noise in general, I woke up. I had slept through the phone ringing, the siren sounding three times right on top of the building, and the departure of the fire equipment. Only when they were returning from the fire more than an hour later (at about my normal waking time) did I awaken from a good night’s sleep. I stretched, had a sip of coffee, got my jacket, and having finished my air raid tour, went home to get ready for school. Once again I had done my part to keep Franconia safe from the enemy.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Fall 2007 edition of the "Franconia Remembers" newsletter published by the Franconia Museum:

A FEW MEMORIES OF FRANCONIA
by “Dinky” Huffman

At the ripe old age of 15, I was the youngest member ever to serve in the Franconia Volunteer Fire Department Rescue Squad. I remember a particular call during the winter of 1958-59. I was 16 then. We had an ambulance call for a lady that had fallen at the old shopping center in Springfield. It was a really cold, windy, snowy day, and the road conditions certainly were NOT good. Anyway, no problem, Lynn Fitzgerald was driving the old 1948 Cadillac ambulance. As we were passing Lee High School, approaching the O’Connell’s driveway across from the school, I brought it to Lynn’s attention that he was heading DIRECTLY towards the O’Connell’s large mailbox. He calmly stated, “Oh, I got her.” Just as he got it out of his mouth, BAM he had nailed the mailbox. Of course we did not stop to check out the damage, and probably couldn’t have if we wanted to. Later we checked out the ambulance to find there was very little damage, but the mailbox was another story. We had arrived on the scene, and got the lady to the hospital in safe condition. As I think about it now, I truly believe Lynn Fitzgerald could have been a very successful NASCAR driver.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Fall 2013 edition of the "Franconia Legacies" newsletter published by the Franconia Museum:

Audrey Lyles Kelley - 1953 Royalty in England and Franconia
by Carl Sell

In 1953, both Great Britain and Franconia crowned queens. Queen Elizabeth of England continues to serve as that country’s ruling monarch. Audrey Lyles served as the queen of the Franconia Volunteer Fire Department for a year, but her legacy lives on. Audrey passed away on January 25, 2013, almost 60 years after that memorable day in Franconia.

While monarchs in England ascend to the throne by virtue of succession, Franconia queens were chosen by the votes in the form of pennies as part of a fund-raiser carnival week that provided pomp and circumstance as well as fun for the queen’s subjects. Audrey’s candidacy for queen raised the most money in 1953 and it went toward the new community room at the then firehouse on Franconia Road where the government center stands today. The Franconia Museum is located in the center. The fire house has since moved into larger quarters around the corner on Beulah Street (known as Beulah Road in the old days).

Elizabeth was 25 when she succeeded her father, King George VI, who had died in February 1952. Her ascension to the crown was held a year later after a national year of mourning for her father. Audrey was the 14-year daughter of a volunteer fireman, George Lyles and her mother Dorothy Peverill Lyles. She had lived in Franconia all her life.

For her coronation in August, Audrey wore a robe similar to the one worn by Elizabeth far away in London two months earlier. It was made of wine velvet, ermine and silk and trimmed with sequins. The train was 15 feet long. She was crowned by Nadine Trice, also 14, who was the queen a year earlier.

Like other youngsters in Franconia at that time, Audrey would attend Annandale High School, graduating in 1957. While still in school, she worked for the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon as part of a work study program. She continued on full time after graduation.

In August of 1957, Audrey married Gene E. Kelley, Sr., who lived in Franconia and attended Mount Vernon High School before joining the United States Navy. They would have two sons, Gene, Jr., of Fredericksburg and Brian of Locust Grove, VA. After Brian was born, Audrey went back to work at Cameron Station and retired in 1944. She also is survived by a sister, Gladys Walker of Richmond and a brother, Lawrence Lyles and his wife Joyce of Lovettesville, VA.

Audrey and Gene moved to Lake of the Woods at Locust Grove in 2000. She was a member of the Lael Baptist Church in Lignum, VA and is buried in the church cemetery.