Firehouse Brewing Co. is much more than just a brewery and restaurant — it is one of Rapid City’s most recognizable historic buildings and an important piece of local history.
The story really begins with the growth of Rapid City itself. On February 24, 1876, a group of eleven pioneers pitched their tents along the banks of Rapid Creek. Striking out on gold but recognizing a perfect natural gateway into the Black Hills, they founded a settlement they called “Hay Camp” due to the lush valleys of tall grass. Within days, recognizing the strategic value of the area, the founders laid out a one-square-mile townsite and officially renamed it Rapid City. While towns like Deadwood became famous for gold mining itself, Rapid City quickly developed into a major supply, freight and transportation hub for the entire region.
As Rapid City grew, so did the need for organized fire protection. Early western towns were extremely vulnerable to fires because many buildings were constructed quickly out of wood and packed closely together. In 1881, Rapid City formed three volunteer hose companies to help protect the growing town. At the time, there was no permanent fire station, and equipment was often stored in barns and scattered buildings around the city.
By the early 1900s, Rapid City had grown into a much more established community and needed a proper centralized fire station. In 1915, the city constructed the building that would eventually become our beloved Firehouse Brewing Co.
The structure was built with thick brick walls and locally sourced Fall River sandstone from the Black Hills region. The architecture reflects the Chicago School style that was popular in civic buildings during that era.
One of the building’s most prominent features was its towering hose tower. In those days, heavy canvas fire hoses had to be meticulously cared for; if left wet, they would quickly rot. After battling a blaze, firefighters would haul the massive lines up into the tower to hang vertically and air-dry. The tower also housed a massive brass bell to alert the town of emergencies. Today, that historic piece of architecture inspires our popular Bell Tower Lager, and the original bell still rings out over downtown Rapid City three minutes early every single day.
The building originally served as Rapid City’s official downtown fire hall, but it also housed city offices and portions of the police department. The downstairs area — where guests now dine and gather — was once used to store firefighting equipment, hose carts and eventually motorized fire trucks. Before trucks became standard, firefighters even responded using horse-drawn fire wagons.
In addition to the downstairs, firefighters actually lived upstairs while on duty. The upper floors — which now house Skybox Sports Bar — contained sleeping quarters and living areas for the crews stationed there. The mezzanine is where the offices were held.
One of the most iconic features still remaining today is the original brass fire pole located inside the restaurant. While now attached to the bar, it was initially located where the staircase to the mezzanine is today. Firefighters used that very pole to slide from the upstairs living quarters down into the apparatus bays below whenever emergency calls came in. The pole is completely authentic and remains one of the most photographed features of the building.
Over the decades, the fire hall witnessed enormous changes in Rapid City and the Black Hills region. The building stood through Prohibition, both World Wars, the rise of automobiles and the massive expansion of Black Hills tourism. During World War II, the station sat just miles away from the rapidly expanding Rapid City Army Air Base, now known as Ellsworth Air Force Base. And while the connection between the two might not seem obvious, a remarkable discovery decades later would bring a piece of the air base’s history right into the old fire station.
A Lost Wallet, a Military Airman and a Local Legend
In 1947, an airman named Ira Purdy was stationed at Rapid City Army Air Base. While serving there, Purdy lost his wallet, which contained his military identification, family photographs and an entire month’s pay. Despite his efforts, the wallet was nowhere to be found.
For more than four decades, it remained missing.
Then, in 1991, construction workers renovating the old fire station made an unexpected discovery. Tucked away behind a building support beam was a remarkably well-preserved wallet. Inside were the belongings of Ira Purdy, seemingly untouched by the decades that had passed.
The wallet was eventually returned to Purdy’s family, turning what began as an ordinary renovation into an unexpected reunion with the past.
But that wasn’t the only surprise hiding inside the old fire hall. During renovations, workers also uncovered vintage fire hose nozzles concealed within the walls — another reminder of the building’s decades of service to Rapid City.
The story of the lost wallet became a memorable piece of local history, and Purdy’s name would eventually find a new home just down the block at Firehouse Wine Cellars.
Today, his story lives on through Colonel Purdy Sweet Riesling, a formerly produced wine named in his honor. What started as a missing wallet in 1947 became a story that would be remembered generations later, with Purdy’s name finding its way onto wine bottles throughout the region.
From Fire Station to South Dakota’s First Brewpub
Eventually, as firefighting technology modernized and the city continued expanding, the original downtown station became too small for modern emergency operations. Larger trucks and updated facilities required the fire department to move elsewhere in 1975. Many historic buildings from that era across the country were demolished during modernization efforts, but this building survived.
In 1991, the historic fire hall was transformed into Firehouse Brewing Co., becoming South Dakota’s first brewpub and helping launch modern craft beer culture in the state.
Rather than removing the building’s history, the renovation preserved much of its original character. The original fire pole remained, firefighting memorabilia stayed throughout the building, and many of the architectural details were carefully maintained. Even the unexpected discoveries made during construction added another chapter to the building’s already remarkable story.
Today, guests are not simply eating inside a restaurant — they are sitting inside a building that has served Rapid City continuously for more than 110 years. What was once a working fire station now serves as one of South Dakota’s most recognized breweries and historic destinations.
From the original brass fire pole and bell tower to the forgotten wallet hidden behind a wall for more than 40 years, nearly every corner of the building has a story to tell.
For many visitors traveling through the Black Hills, Firehouse Brewing Co. becomes more than a place to grab food or beer. It becomes a chance to experience a preserved piece of Rapid City history firsthand.