CHARLESTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — An abandoned volunteer fire station in Charlestown will soon be transformed into a memorial park thanks to $610,000 in federal funding.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and former Rep. Jim Langevin ceremoniously delivered the check to the Charlestown Fire District Wednesday.

The money will be used to redevelop the former Cross Mills Volunteer Fire Station on Matunuck School House Road into the Cross Mills Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park.

The fire station, which was first built back in 1939, will be torn down in favor of the memorial park, which will sit right next to Perry Pond.

Whitehouse said he teamed up with Langevin on the last day of his tenure to secure the funding.

“Transforming the abandoned fire station into a new green space for residents and visitors to enjoy is a boon to small businesses in Charlestown and a win for the local environment,” Whitehouse said.

Langevin described the park as being “the perfect addition to beautiful Charlestown, where families and tourists alike can gather to explore nature while honoring the dedicated service of generations of Cross Mills volunteer firefighters.”

The Cross Mills Volunteer Fire Department moved out of the old station and into a new one on Old Post Road back in 2012.

“It’s our hope that the Cross Mills Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park will bring joy to the people of Charlestown and spur economic development in the town for generations to come,” Charlestown Fire District Board of Engineers Chair Joe Weeden said.