WEST END ATLANTA

Atlanta's No. 7 fire station was the city's oldest firehouse when it was closed last week.

If West End residents and business owners — and some in city hall — have their way, it soon will be again.For nearly 98 years, Atlanta Fire-Rescue Department Station No. 7, was in operation at 535 Whitehall Street in historic West End. No. 7 became known "The Rock." Twenty-one years after opening, it became the city's first and only fire training center, the foundation the Atlanta Fire Department was built on. No. 7 shut its doors July 14 — just over two years short of reaching a century in service — a victim to the city's recent budget crisis.

"It would've been nice to see it make 100," said the department's unofficial historian, Lt. Derek Harris.

No. 7's future remains uncertain as the mayor and City Council play political tug-of-war over whether the station will remain closed.

Here's a little history:

May 31, 1894 — The original No. 7 was built at Benjamin (now Tift) Street, across the railroad tracks from where the current No. 7 sits. The building was razed in 1960 to make way for the East-West Freeway, now known as I-20.

Sept. 30, 1907 — Hoseman Clifford Smith was the first member of Engine Company No. 7 to die. Smith was among a number of firefighters buried when a heavy front porch collapsed. He died a few weeks later from his injuries.

Dec. 10, 1910 — The station moved to 535 Whitehall so firefighters didn't have to maneuver around rail  to respond to emergencies.

May 21, 1917 — No. 7 was the first engine company called to the Candler Warehouse in the West End, one of the first of many fires that day that, collectively, would come to be known as the Great Fire of Atlanta. Overall, nearly 300 acres (much of the modern Fourth Ward) and nearly 2,000 homes were destroyed. No one was killed but about 10,000 people were displaced.November,

1931 — No. 7 became the home of the first recruit school, the Fire College. Complete with a seven-story drill tower, it was given the nickname "The Rock," the designation for all fire training facilities. The top four stories of the tower were taken down when the Fire College was moved to 25 Claire Drive.

Dec. 7, 1946 — The supposedly "fireproof" Winecoff Hotel on the corner of Peachtree and Ellis streets caught fire at 3:42 a.m., killing 119, and leaving 100 injured. No. 7 was one of the many Atlanta and out-of-town companies that responded to the fire.

May 1974 — An Atlanta Fire Department library was established in the old training center classroom on the second floor of Station No. 7.

April 12, 1999 — No. 7 was one of the engine companies responding to the a fire at the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill in Cabbage Town.No one knows what will become of No. 7.

 But here are other metro Atlanta fire stations that are serving duty as something else:

AFD Station No. 6 — 39 Boulevard Street, AtlantaClosed in 1991 after extensive roof damage, it now serves as a fire museum as part of the National Parks Service.

AFD Station No. 11 — 30 North Avenue, AtlantaUntil the past few months, the station's building was home to "The Spotted Dog Bar and Grill."

Gwinnett County Fire Station No. 6 — 3594 Centerville Highway, Snellville Now the Fire Youth Ministry, an extension of the Hope and Life Fellowship church.

Marietta Fire Station No. 3 — Polk Street, Marietta

Opened in 1952 and closed in the late 1990s, this building houses the Marietta High School Alumni Assoc.

Marietta Fire Station No. 2 — 965 Roswell Street, Marietta

Opened in 1951 and closed in the late 1990s, this building stands vacant.

SOURCE: The Atlanta Fire Department.— Andy Sharp contributed to this article.