Jacksonville Fire Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1982 |
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| Location | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Visitors | 12,677 |
| Public transit access | Bus: Talleyrand Shuttle |
The Jacksonville Fire Museum is a cool place where you can learn all about the history of firefighters! It's part of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. This museum shows how fire services have changed over time in Jacksonville and all of Florida.
You can see many interesting things here. There are old photos and a small model of the Great Fire of 1901. This was a huge fire that happened in Jacksonville. The museum also has two amazing old fire engines. One is a 1902 LaFrance engine that was pulled by horses! The other is a 1926 American LaFrance fire engine.
About the Jacksonville Fire Museum
The Jacksonville Fire Museum is located inside an old fire station. This building is called the Catherine Street Fire Station. It is also known as Station 3. This station is very special. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site in the U.S. It's also an official landmark for the City of Jacksonville.
The Catherine Street Fire Station was once home to a fire company made up of African-American firefighters. Because of this, the building is also part of Florida's Black Heritage Trail. It is recognized by the Northeast Florida African-American Historical Society. The station was at 12 Catherine Street for almost 100 years. In 1994, it was moved to its current spot next to Metropolitan Park.
The museum is currently closed. It is waiting for plans for a new development in the area.
The Catherine Street Fire Station's History
On April 20, 1886, the city of Jacksonville decided to create a professional fire department. This new department started with three fire stations and 17 firefighters. Station 3, or the Catherine Street Fire Station, was one of these first stations. It was located at 500 East Bay Street.
This station was unique because it was fully staffed by African-American firefighters. Henry Butler was the foreman, leading the team. Louis M. Kelly and J. Sirmans were also privates there. Station 3 even had a horse named George. George helped pull the hose reel to fires!
In 1933, Fire Station No. 3 stopped being an active fire station. The building was then used for different things. First, it became a shop for the Jacksonville Fire Department. Later, it was used for storage.
The Catherine Street Fire Station was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1972. This recognized its importance in history. In 1982, the building was turned into the Jacksonville Fire Museum. It was removed from the Register on August 22, 2023.
The building had some repairs after a report in 1993 showed its foundations were getting old. The building is now closed again for more renovations.
