When the community stepped inside St. George’s new Fire Station 1 during the open house on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2025, they saw far more than modern equipment bays and gleaming engines, the city said in a press release.
They walked into a space that symbolizes the city’s promise to honor its past while protecting its future. Amid the station’s advanced training rooms, community gathering areas and expanded living quarters, the memory of the Flood Street Chapel remains very much alive.
For decades, that chapel served as a spiritual and social cornerstone for St. George families. Today, the land carries forward that same sense of purpose — now dedicated to public safety and service.
“This station is truly about honoring our past with an eye to the future,” said St. George Chief Robert Stoker, who recently celebrated 40 years with the department. “We’ve built a facility that recognizes where we came from and prepares us for where St. George is going.”
The property’s history stretches back to the early 1950s, when Bishop Wilford Schmutz of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, acquired the parcel from Dan Seegmiller for $1,800 to build the Flood Street Chapel.
According to the Washington County Historical Society, the chapel was dedicated around 1955. The chapel served the city’s 5th and 6th wards and quickly became a center of community life. Its recreation hall echoed with ward plays, youth basketball games, wedding receptions, and family reunions.
The St. George East Stake President Lance Greer remembered some of the community’s diversity through events like luaus and Hispanic celebrations. Another memory he shared was a spectacular Christmas display and mural by renowned artist Greg Abbott, a member of the church.
“There were certainly many events that we participated in that bring back a lot of memories,” Lance said.
By 2021, structural issues forced the building’s closure. The city of St. George purchased the property for $1.1 million. When demolition began in December 2022, residents arrived to collect leftover bricks, small, tangible pieces of history. Today, that spirit of gathering continues, as a new generation will enter a site dedicated to rescue, readiness and response.
The new Fire Station 1, encompassing more than 23,000 square feet, replaces the former 8,500-square-foot structure on 1000 East and consolidates operations from both Station 1 and Station 2 on North Main.
The new building also provides a community room for meetings, developer consultations, instruction and dedicated training for the fire crew. According to Chief Stoker, the facility represents a significant leap forward for both efficiency and well-being.
“It’s built for the future, where if we have multiple crews running out of this station, they’re able to have the room as we grow and expand,” Stoker said.
The new building will be able to accommodate a lot of administrative staff downstairs, as well as on-duty crews. The second floor will feature improved living quarters for firefighters, including private bedrooms, a spacious kitchen and day room and separate restrooms and showers.
“You want to be able to give them an area where they can just decompre