Mansfield's Old Fire Hall Has a New Job, and Most Neighbors Don't Know They Can Use It

This past summer, an easel sign stood outside the old fire hall on Maples Road. It pointed to a few covered bins by the entrance. Anyone could leave extra garden produce there or take vegetables home, and there was no sign-up sheet or schedule. Lynn Telaak started the free vegetable pantry, and she told EllicottvilleNOW how the season ended: "The only thing I had to discard at the end of the season were two jalapeño peppers!"

The building is now the Mansfield Community Center, and by Telaak's account the pantry worked remarkably well. Earlier in the year, a community yard sale there drew few people. Bad weather was part of it, and Telaak believes another reason is that many residents still don't realize the building is open to the public. The roof has been repaired, the paint is fresh, and the doors are open. What the center needs most now is for people to know it's there.

A garage, then a fire hall, then a place for everyone

Most people in Mansfield know the building as the fire hall, but it started out as something else. According to Telaak, the property began as a gas station and garage owned by Ed Dubke and his wife. Dubke was instrumental in founding the Mansfield Fire Company in 1962, and he later pushed for a fire truck bay to be added.

Like many small volunteer departments, the fire company had trouble keeping enough trained volunteers. When it could no longer keep operating, former members wanted the building to stay useful rather than sit empty. They asked several residents to form a board to run it. Telaak is the board secretary. Jan Benson serves with her, and so does Archie Toth, who has helped with improvements and with drawing more activity to the building.

The handover took about three years to arrange. It became official on New Year's Day 2026. The board is a small group of volunteers, and since the handover they have kept the building doing what it always did, which is bringing people together.

What ten months under the new board have shown

People could hold gatherings in the building for several years before the handover. The difference now is that a board is actively looking after the place and promoting it. In a short EllicottvilleNOW event preview in October, Telaak said that more organized push began when the fire company turned the building over at the start of the year.

The board has tried several things so far, with mixed results.

• A community yard sale. Poor weather kept attendance low. Telaak also pointed to the fact that many residents don't know the building is open for public use.
• The summer vegetable pantry. It ran on an honor system with a sign and covered bins. Telaak said it worked remarkably well, and two jalapeños were all that went to waste.
• A Pumpkin Painting Party. It ran Sunday, October 25, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. It was free, with pumpkins, paint, supplies, and refreshments provided, and families could bring their own pumpkins. Donations were welcome but not required.

The pumpkin party was described as one more chance to introduce residents to the space. The yard sale's weak turnout was blamed partly on the same problem, which is that people didn't know the building was available.

The standing date on the calendar

The center's longest-running activity is its Community Social. It meets on the third Tuesday of every month from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. According to EllicottvilleNOW, the socials are geared especially toward residents who don't get many chances to get out and spend time with others.

If the schedule holds, the next two socials fall on Tuesday, November 17 and Tuesday, December 15, 2026. Both are weekday afternoons. If you have a neighbor down a long rural road who would enjoy two hours of company, these dates are easy to offer them a ride to.

The board also hopes to bring back the Mansfield Ham & Turkey Party. No date has been announced. If it does return, a call to the board is the most reliable way to find out.

Booking the building for your own gathering

You don't have to be planning a public event to use the center. Under the board's current arrangement, booking works like this:

1. Who can ask. Anyone, whether or not they live in Mansfield.
2. What it's for. Family reunions, birthday parties, receptions, educational groups, and other private gatherings.
3. What it costs. There is no set rental fee right now. The center runs on donations.
4. How to reserve. Call board secretary Lynn Telaak at 716-498-0833 to discuss availability and arrangements.
5. Where it is. 7690 Maples Road, in the former Mansfield Fire Hall. A 2017 Olean Times Herald obituary listed the Mansfield Volunteer Fire Department at 7690 Maples Road, Little Valley, NY 14755.

The donation model matters most for groups that need room but don't have a budget, such as a scout troop, a book club, or a family planning a reunion. It also means the money that keeps the building running comes from the people who use it.

What the board wants next, and who it's waiting on

For next year, the board has a few plans of its own. It wants to bring back the pumpkin painting party next fall, and it's considering an Easter-themed activity in the spring. Telaak has been just as clear that the board would welcome events that residents and local groups organize themselves. She told EllicottvilleNOW:

"We would like to make it available if people wanted to organize a farmers market or crafters market. We would be very happy to host it!"

That invitation fits with what this year showed. The center has a small group of volunteers working on the building and a board that wants to host. Its best ideas so far have been simple ones like the produce bins, where neighbors do most of the work. A farmers market or crafters market would work the same way on a larger scale, with residents bringing the goods and the building providing the space. In the October preview, Telaak said, "We would love for groups to come."

The building is there, improvements are underway, and the doors are open. For now, the board's focus is spreading the word. If you have extra zucchini next August, a reunion to plan, or a craft group outgrowing someone's living room, call 716-498-0833 and ask about a date.

I'm Jennifer Courtney, and I'm always happy to talk about the corners of Mansfield and Ellicottville that don't show up on a listing sheet. If you have questions about life in Mansfield, let's connect.