Then & Now in Downtown Belleville: 394-400 Front St.

If you are looking for a delicious handmade burger in a family-owned restaurant, look no further than Law and Order Burgers and Fries located at 394-400 Front St. in Downtown Belleville. Their fresh and filling lunch and dinners are not the only reason to stop by, visiting the historically-significant building formerly known as Fire Station No. 2 is an event in and of itself.

Written by Xandra Grayson

Read time: 5 min

A plaque on the outside of the building can be seen near the entrance detailing the history of its construction and honouring the more recent renovations on the building, which were completed while maintaining the original look. Upon the building’s original construction, one can imagine the relief of the citizens aged 15-60 of 1800s Belleville, as they had been mandated to carry buckets of water to fires since Belleville was incorporated as a police village in 1836. Fires were an ever-present threat to the prosperity of the area and assistance came to Front St. when Fire Station No. 2 was built in 1867. John Forin originally constructed it as a fire station, police office, holding cells, and meeting place for the developing village’s town hall. It was the headquarters of law and order during the beginnings of Belleville’s bustling lumber town, as in its name today.

The horses were a part of the fire crew, serving the community for decades through the establishment of the first volunteers and then permanent firefighters in 1916. The horses became like family to Belleville Fire Hall No. 2, so much so that in 1926 a 22-year-old veteran horse named ‘Harry’ was purchased back from a farmer by the firefighters after the city sold him, so he could retire in peace in the stables of the fire hall. Harry’s retirement would be short-lived after he left the hall and the fire brigade put him out to pasture. Harry missed his beloved fire hall too much and passed away only a few months later at the age of 23, to be buried with a guard of honour as the last of the horses to work for the Belleville Fire Department.

After serving the community in such an important manner, Fire Station No. 2 officially closed in 1950. The fire hall retired its bell and hose tower and replaced storage and stables with shop fronts and offices so that the fire hall could move to a more spacious location. From then on, a wild array of stores and shops blew through 394-400 Front Street. A barber shop, Norma’s Lunch, offices, and Bob’s Shoe Repair on the first floor all listened to the sparing of the Belleville Karate School on the second floor. This evolution of businesses continued into the mid-80s when Zap Records found a home there. The ringing of the fire bell morphed into the music of the combined record collections of Paul Cowan and Gary LaVallee behind the brightly coloured red and yellow storefront. Zap Records would spawn an array of record stores and production companies moving to the surrounding areas starting in 1991 but their beginnings as a hub for music and culture began in the old fire hall on Front Street.

394-400 Front Street would remain a hub for art, culture, and especially food as time went by, and eventually, all of the separate storefronts on the first floor would amalgamate into one large restaurant area. Chilangos Mexican Restaurant opened in 2015. Their expansive patio looked over the Moira River, with diners socializing and relaxing where the fire horses once exercised while the second floor morphed into a private residence. The popular restaurant was forced to move abruptly in 2022 when severe winds blew a section of the roof clean off during a storm. The historical building was closed for extensive repairs and restoration.

Today, the loving repairs have preserved and strengthened the 157-year-old building, restoring its original red brick face from under the layers of paint with a special opening ceremony, attended by the current fire and police forces. Owner Jamie Law invites patrons to explore the history of the building while enjoying the freshly made food, or choose to participate in the Rippo Burger Challenge if they are particularly hungry. Once again, law and order have returned to the culinary hub of 394-400 Front St. in the form of Law and Orders Burger and Fries, echoing and paying homage to the origins of the historical Fire Station No. 2.