Old Plaza Firehouse

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Old Plaza Firehouse
Oldplazafirehouse.JPG
Old Plaza Firehouse with Los Angeles City Hall in the background.
Location501 N. Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles CA
Coordinates 34°03′22″N118°14′20″W / 34.05601388°N 118.2388083°W / 34.05601388; -118.2388083
Built1884
DesignatedApril 8, 1960
Reference no.730
U.S. - Los Angeles Metropolitan Area location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Old Plaza Firehouse in the Los Angeles metropolitan area

The Old Plaza Firehouse, also known as Fire House No. 1 and the Plaza Fire House, [1] is the oldest fire station in the city of Los Angeles, built in 1884, two years before the formal establishment of the Los Angeles Fire Department. It is located near Olvera Street in the Los Angeles Plaza Historic District. It was named California Historical Landmark No. 730 on April 8, 1960.

Contents

Designed by local architect William A. Boring [the City paid him $160.75 for his drawings], [2] and built in 1884, it operated as a firehouse until 1897. The building was thereafter used as a saloon, cigar store, poolroom, "seedy hotel", Chinese market, "flop house", and drugstore. [3] The building was restored in the 1950s and opened as a firefighting museum in 1960.

The Plaza Firehouse Museum is open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum features helmets, photos, and firefighting equipment of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Los Angeles Fire House 1890 1890LAFireStn.jpg
Los Angeles Fire House 1890

Markers

[4]

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References

  1. "LAFD, The Plaza Fire Station". www.lafire.com.
  2. newspapers.com, Los Angeles Herald (Los Angeles, California), 27 Aug 1884
  3. Judson Grenier. "Plaza Firehouse Centennial" (PDF). Los Angeles Public Library.
  4. californiahistoricallandmarks.com 730, Old Plaza Firehouse - Los Angeles