Historic Firehouses of Louisville facts for kids

Built by the WPA in 1936, the Louisville Fire Department Headquarters is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Historic Firehouses of Louisville are a special group of old fire stations in Louisville, Kentucky. There are 18 of these historic buildings. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and 1981 because they are important for their history and how they were built.

Louisville's Firefighting Story

Louisville started its first fire brigades in 1780. That was just two years after the city was created! At first, these fire stations were run by volunteer fire departments all over the city.

On June 1, 1858, the city of Louisville took over. They changed from hand-powered engines to five steam engines. The volunteers were replaced with paid firefighters. The city started with three fire stations, 65 professional firefighters, and 23 horses.

Oldest Firehouses Still Standing

Many of the first firehouses were torn down as the city grew and changed. The oldest firehouse still standing was actually a church built in 1848. In 1869, the city turned this two-story brick building in Phoenix Hill into a fire station.

Three other old firehouses that are still around were built in the 1870s and 1880s:

• Steam Engine Co. #7 in Limerick (built 1871)
• Steam Engine Co. #10 in Butchertown (built 1873)
• The Rogers Street Firehouse in Irish Hill (built 1883)

Longest Running Fire Station

Engine Company 7, located at 6th & York Streets, is very special. It was formed on October 7, 1871, as the Louisville Steam Engine Co. 7. It is the oldest firehouse in the United States that has been running continuously! However, it was planned to close in January 2009 to help save money for the city.

Former Fire Department Headquarters

In the 1890s, a very important firehouse was built in Downtown Louisville. This was the Fire Department Headquarters at 617 W. Jefferson Street, built in 1891. It was designed by the McDonald Brothers, who also designed other important buildings in Louisville.

The current fire department headquarters was built in 1936. It is located at 1135 W. Jefferson Street. This building was constructed by the WPA, which was a government program that created jobs during the Great Depression. This building is made of limestone and is one of the few buildings in Louisville built in the Art Deco style. After the fire department moved out, the old headquarters became a police office.

Historic Firehouses List

Here is a list of some of the historic firehouses in Louisville:

Property	Photo	Built	Location
Fire Department Headquarters		November 7, 1981	1135 W. Jefferson St.
Firehouse No. 13		March 10, 1981	100 N. 34th St.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 2		November 7, 1890	221 S. Hancock St.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 3		November 7, 1890	Frankfort Ave. and Pope St.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 4		November 7, 1890	2301 Jefferson St.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 5		November 7, 1890	1824 Garland Ave.
Steam Engine Company No. 2		November 7, 1890	617-621 W. Jefferson St.
Steam Engine Company No. 3		November 7, 1890	802-804 E. Main St.
Steam Engine Company No. 4 (Logan Street)		November 7, 1890	1024 Logan St.
Steam Engine Company No. 4 (Main Street)		November 7, 1890	1617 W. Main St.
Steam Engine Company No. 7		November 7, 1890	821 S. 6th St.
Steam Engine Company No. 10		November 7, 1890	1419 E. Washington
Steam Engine Company No. 11		November 7, 1890	1122 Rogers
Steam Engine Company No. 18		November 7, 1890	2600 S. 4th St.
Steam Engine Company No. 20 (1330 Bardstown Road)		November 7, 1890	1330 Bardstown Rd.
Steam Engine Company No. 20 (1735 Bardstown Road)		November 7, 1890	1735 Bardstown Rd.
Steam Engine Company No. 21		November 7, 1890	1761 Frankfort Ave.
Steam Engine Company No. 22		November 7, 1890	37th and Broadway