Snell Legal's Ormond Beach office is located in the Ormond Beach Fire House, designated a historic landmark by the Ormond Beach City Commission in 1987. It was built in 1936 as a Works Progress Administration ("WPA") project. The WPA was part of the "New Deal" of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, through which depression era financial relief was provided. The WPA existed from 1935 to 1943 and employed over 8,500,000 people to construct over 1,400,000 public projects, such as buildings, bridges and roads at a cost of about $1l billion.
The Fire House served as a municipal building and initially housed both the police and fire stations. In later years the Birthplace of Speed Museum occupied a portion of the building as did Ormond Main Street.
The Fire House is the only WPA built building in Ormond Beach, however, the Daytona Beach Post Office on Beach Street, the Armory building on Ballough Road in Daytona Beach, the Daytona Beach Band Shell and Clock Tower and the Holly Hill City Hall were also WPA projects. The Fire House is built of coquina rock, a native material, which was commonly used during the era of construction. Similarly, as was the style at the time, there are Art Deco design elements to the building. Both on the interior and the exterior keystones were used abundantly.
All of the original walls of the building remain, including the former jail walls which, of course, are quite thick. There were three cells, including separate cells for men and women. Many visitors have told of their own experiences being incarcerated in the cells, generally for youthful mischief. The frame to one of the cell doors remains and offers a good view of just how thick the walls are.
The outside window alongside the interior stairs is an original window and was uncovered during renovation. The large bay where the fire truck was kept now serves as two conference rooms, both which contain visible interior keystones. The walls were covered with plaster and the brick and coquina rock was uncovered during renovation. Originally, as can be seen in old photographs and paintings, there was a second bay where the reception area is currently. A painting of the Fire House was done in the 40's by an anonymous folk artist, and remains where it was painted, Mario's Restaurant in Ormond Beach. The fire pole has been integrated into the light fixture over the conference table in the large bay conference room.
Other points of interest include the red "emergency" phone on the front of the building, two styles of original light fixtures on either side of the former large bay and the first floor front porch and the original boiler furnace in the basement. A street side monument and adjoining wall are also original. The Fire House ceased being used as a fire station in November of 2006. Following an extensive renovation Snell Legal took occupancy in January of 2008.
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