Underground Fuel Tank Discovered During Madison Center Project Construction

Chances are good that you will come across unexpected items while digging three or more feet below the surface in an area that has been a commercial district for over 200 years, and that’s exactly what happened last week.

Town engineer Mike Ott reported that the contractor, while preparing to lay a conduit in front of the Madison Hose Co. #1 discovered an abandoned tank on Route 1 beneath the entrance leading into the firehouse. The tank appeared to be an old fuel tank and is about 12 feet long and 6 feet high.

Mike Ott said that the contractor immediately stopped working and reported the find. Town Fire Marshal Sam DeBurra, Jr and Mike Ott gave inspection to the old tank by placing a stick inside. Ott reported that there was liquid, but that it had not odor and that he believed it was water. Ott indicated that the town’s environmental consultants were contacted right away and that the tank was left where it was and the soil was returned until testing can be done to ensure there are no environmental concerns.

Finding an old underground fuel tank in front of the firehouse might not be all that surprising to some. About 100 years ago the fire house was not located where it is today, it was several doors to the east at 679 Boston Post Road where Head Start Haircutters and Susan Powell Fine Art are today.

The building that the Hose Co. uses today as the firehouse did exist back in the early 1900’s as the Griswold Garage and Maxwell’s Chrysler. As one of the first automobile garages and service stations in downtown, the facility offered automobile sales, service and fuel.

“After learning that the discovery would likely not impact the construction timeline, I was intrigued to learn why the tank was there and to try and find photographs depicting a past use of the property, so I contacted the Charlotte Evarts Memorial Archives in town,” said Ryan Duques, chairman of EDC.

According to Nancy Bastian, archivist at the the Charlotte Evarts Memorial Archives the current brick building we recognize today as the first house opened in 1923 as the Griswold-Dowd Garage.

In addition to selling fuel, the garage repaired and sold cars and even even sold airplanes. Bastian explained that by 1933, an advertisement noted that Griswold Garage had become Molinar’s Garage, a Dodge and Plymouth dealership. Offering “one-stop service,” Molinar’s provided motorists: detailing, 24-hour towing, body work and repairs on all auto makes and models. Molinar’s was also one of the many gas stations in town.

In 1955 the building was sold the the Madison Hose Co. #1 for $30,000 and the fire company moved into it’s current space. Since that time the Madison Hose Co. #1 has been serving the growing town from the facility.

Mike Ott explained that it wasn’t required back then to record locations of underground tanks, get them inspected or even remove them when they ceased a purpose. When asked if he had found any other interesting artifacts during the construction, Mike Ott said that a previously unknown underground wooden telephone conduit, was likely installed in the 1890’s was located. “I’ve heard of them but have never seen one,” said an excited Ott.

HISTORIC PHOTOS: Courtesy of the Charlotte L. Evarts Memorial Archives, Inc. Madison, CT http://www.evartsarchives.org
CURRENT PHOTO: by Ryan Duques