Canton Volunteer Fire Department members, from left, Capt. Dan Pelletier, Chief Jason Vaughan and Deputy Chief Rob Walker, and resident Art Chamberlin hold the refurbished sign from the former Canton Point Fire Department station. Selectman Carole Robbins and Art and Anne Chamberlin refurbished the sign, which was found in the old station building that’s now a machine shop at Conant Acres Farm on Canton Point Road. Submitted photo
CANTON — The long-lost sign from the former Canton Point Fire Department station was presented to firefighters Thursday night, months after being discovered at Conant Acres farm on Canton Point Road.
This photo of the Canton Point Fire Department building from 1937 was found by Selectman Carole Robbins, leading to the discovery of the sign. It was presented to firefighters Thursday night and will hang in the Canton Volunteer Fire Department station at 90 Turner St. Submitted photo
Fire Chief Jason Vaughn, Deputy Chief Rob Walker and Capt. Dan Pelletier were given the refurbished artifact, which will hang in the Canton Volunteer Fire Department station.
Selectman Carole Robbins told the board that while she was doing research for a booklet for the town’s bicentennial celebration in August 2021 she came across a photograph of the Canton Point Fire Department building. Her discovery led her to read a collection of old reports at the Town Office that revealed the building was originally the Canton Point Schoolhouse, which closed in 1920. The building served as the fire station from 1937 to the mid-1940s, she said. The equipment was turned over to the Canton Fire Department.
As she studied the photo, she wondered if she might be able to find the large sign on the front of the station.
“I got to thinking it would be really cool to find that sign,” she said.
She learned that Conant Acres, a family-owned farm on Canton Point Road, uses the old building as a machine shop, so she asked the family if they knew anything about the sign.
“Come to find out it was stored in the upper part of the building and they agreed to let me take it,” Robbins said.
She, her brother-in-law Art Chamberlin and his wife, Anne, refurbished the sign as close to the original as possible for the Fire Department.
“Incidentally our timing was pretty good,” Robbins said, “because 2023 marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Canton Volunteer Fire Department.”
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