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HEXLENA – Nearly 70 years ago, men in the Powellsville area took a leap of faith and worked to establish a volunteer fire department.

That proud tradition of service to the community continues today.

Ground was broken Saturday morning in the Hexlena community where the Powellsville Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) will build a second station.

Residents in the Hexlena area who are inside the PVFD’s district currently pay higher premiums for homeowner’s insurance because of the distance they live from the main fire station in the town of Powellville. Due to a mutual aid agreement, the location of the new fire station will also lower insurance costs of those living in the Hexlena area that reside in the Askewville VFD’s district.

“That will happen once our new station opens and the state comes in and inspects all the equipment,” said PVFD Chief Ralph Brinkley.

“We thank the members of the Tayloe family (John, Jacob, Lauren, Herbie) for the donation of the land to build this new fire station and to the members and the supporters of our department for their vision of allowing the PVFD to better serve our district,” Brinkley added.

Brinkley said the metal building (36’ x 50’) has been ordered.

“We’re just waiting on the weather to improve to pour the concrete slab,” he noted.

Once the building opens, PVFD will use it to house a fire truck, complete with all the standard equipment.

At Saturday’s ground-breaking ceremony, Brinkley paid tribute to the PVFD’s proud past,

acknowledging 88-year-old Bernie Jones, the only living charter member of the department. He also recognized Gerald Waters, Al Castelloe, David Powell, and Ernie Carter, each who have served the PVFD for 50-plus years.

Askewville VFD Fire Chief David Mizelle was in attendance.

After Waters opened with prayer, Carter gave a brief history of the PVFD and offered a prospective of the new project.

PVFD began in 1958 with Buck Carter as the first chief, a position he held for over 20 years. Their first fire truck was a surplus vehicle obtained from the U.S. Navy.

The department, after being housed in different locations, moved into its main station in 1981.

“A lot of work and a lot of effort have gone in, raising money with different projects and fundraisers, to keep the department going all these years,” Carter said.

He thanked the Tayloe family for their generous donation of the land, and also noted the longtime support of the PVFD by the late Alice Tayloe, whom the new building memorializes.

“Alice faithfully served our community. We miss her greatly but remember her fondly today,” Carter stated.

Carter paid tribute to the PVFD’s Ladies Auxiliary, which began in 1981.

“They have offered us a lot of support through their projects to raise money to help purchase the equipment we needed to operate. It’s amazing what we’ve been able to accomplish in our small town,” he stressed.

John Tayloe brought greetings on behalf of U.S. Senator Ted Budd, who was in the western part of the state on Saturday, working to help those still recovering from Hurricane Helene.

“Even though he’s on the other side of the state, he celebrates this occasion along with you. He recognizes the importance of first responders,” Tayloe remarked.

“This project is all about community…neighbor helping neighbor,” Tayloe added. “Today is about paying it forward, channeling history and heritage of family and recognizing how a community can be helped. This project is very significant as it will help more than 160 families, not only with response times to emergencies greatly reduced, but also with lowering the cost of homeowners insurance.”

Tayloe continued by saying, “This project celebrates Alice and the life she lived. It was through her help with the Ladies Auxiliary, peeling potatoes, cutting cabbage for the cole slaw, the millions of hushpuppies that were prepared and all the pork barbecue that was cooked and served over all these years. It’s a pleasure for me to support this project and it’s an honor for me to remember Alice.

Jacob Tayloe, the son of Alice Tayloe, noted that the addition of a second station will help all of those residing outside the five-mile border of the Powellsville fire district.

“This will be a place where we can extend our help for our district and even to the adjoining fire districts of Askewville and Aulander,” he said.

“Many of you are probably here today because of the impact mom made and all of ladies in the auxiliary made,” Jacob Tayloe continued. “There’s a reason why mom came to the mind of Uncle John when he made the statement that his contribution was in her memory. The impact she made on a personal level makes me proud. She loved our community. Thank all of you for coming out and supporting us.”

Debbie Howard, president of the PVFD Ladies Auxiliary, also made remarks at the ceremony.

“I will miss Alice’s help, but we now have Lauren [Tayloe, her daughter] to step us and help,” Howard said. “I thank Jacob and all the donors for making this new station in memory of Alice and in honor of the Ladies Auxiliary. We love our fire department and our firemen. We’re always ready to help them.”

L.C. Hoggard III, vice chair of the Bertie County Board of Commissioners, offered congratulations to the PVFD and its Ladies Auxiliary for moving forward with the project.

“It’s about community and this project shows that, especially with the economic impact it will have with the money that people will save on their homeowners insurance. This community saw a need and they did something about that need with this new fire station,” Hoggard said.