N.M. fire station in running for grant

A historic fire station in Las Vegas, N.M., that was home to the first volunteer department in the state, is in the running for up to $150,000 in preservation grants through a national Main Street competition, and the Main Street de Las Vegas organization is asking area residents to cast votes online to help push the old firehouse to the top.

The Ernie Romero Fire Station, originally built in 1882 but rebuilt in 1909 after a devastating fire, was selected as one of 25 finalists in the Partners in Preservation: Main Streets campaign, according to a news release. It is the only site in New Mexico in the race for funding.

A total of $2 million will be awarded to winning sites in the campaign, a joint project of American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Main Street America and National Geographic Travel. Winners will be chosen by their own communities. Members of the public can vote for a site through Oct. 31 at www.VoteYourMainStreet.org.

Fred Cisneros of Las Vegas-based Cisneros Design, which is helping to promote the firehouse, said in an email that the site has been “bouncing between 6th and 9th place” since voting began earlier this month.

“We need to encourage people to go to the website … and sign up, and vote daily,” he said, adding that up to 5 votes can be cast each day.

An acequia runs underneath the Ernie Romero Fire Station, according to the news release, giving the early fire department direct access to water for its horse-drawn firetrucks.

Over the years, the building fell out of use, but its façade was restored in 2009 by Main Street de Las Vegas. The project continued, the news release said, and the building is now almost fully renovated and ready to be converted into a museum space, which will include original vintage fire equipment from as early as the 1880s.