Singapore Photography Spots - Central Fire Station

Hill Street is one of the hidden gems of Singapore, I came across Hill Street on my way to Fort Canning Park and spent half a day exploring the heritage buildings of this old neighborhood. This place had something for everyone, for the Architecture lovers there is the colorful Hill Street Police Station, the Central Fire Station and the Armenian Church; for the Nature lover you have the historic Fort Canning Park and for the foodies you have many restaurants to choose from in Clarke Quay. 

Central Fire Station

The Central Fire Station is a beautiful heritage building in the old part of Singapore built in the year 1909; it’s the oldest fire station in the country. Back in the day, buildings were made of wood and attap (palm leaves); these flammable construction material combined with the close proximity of buildings resulted in a series of dangerous fires. This was a big problem for the British Command; the fire department back then consisted of volunteers, soldier’s and convicts who were ill trained and ill equipped to handle big fires. A more professional fire department was establish in 1888 called Singapore Fire Brigade with the first station in Cross Street.

The massive red doors of the Fire Station

It’s a really nice looking building completed with watch tower and huge red doors for the fire trucks to pass though. The building currently houses the Civil Defense Heritage Gallery a museum dedicated to Fire Fighters and Civil Development. The museum is open to public 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday to Sunday. There are a lot of firefighting equipment used through history on display. 

The Armenian Church of St. Gregory the Illuminati

The Armenian Church of St. Gregory the Illuminati is just a few blocks away from the fire station and its one of the oldest churches in Singapore. Build in 1836 the church served as the spiritual center of the small Armenian community living in Singapore

Old Vs New

A ten minute walk from the church lies the Singapore Philatelic Museum A.K.A Museum of Stamps. The museum houses a large collection of rare stamps and postal memorabilia from yester years.

Singapore Philatelic Museum

To get to the above spots take the MRT to Clarke Quay or Fort Canning Park stations. I spent half a day to cover these sites and I did it at a fast pace; my morning was spent exploring the heritage buildings followed by lunch at  Clarke Quay. After lunch I headed to Fort Canning Park and spent about 2 hours walking around the park and taking in the sights.