Monte Vista Fire Station facts for kids
|
Monte Vista Fire Station
|
|
Monte Vista Fire Station, May 2010
|
|
 Location in New Mexico
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 3201 Central Ave. NE Albuquerque, New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Built | 1936 |
| Architect | E. H. Blumenthal |
| Architectural style | Pueblo Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 87001121 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | March 19, 1987 |
The Monte Vista Fire Station is a historic building in the Nob Hill area of Albuquerque. It used to be a fire station! It was built in 1936 with money from a special government program called the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
This building is important for a few reasons. It shows how the WPA helped build things in cities. It also played a big part in the early growth of the Nob Hill neighborhood. The building was a fire station until 1972. Today, it's a popular restaurant. It's one of the oldest fire stations still standing in Albuquerque.
The Monte Vista Fire Station is listed on both the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed by Ernst H. Blumenthal, who was Albuquerque's City Architect. He also designed the Old Albuquerque Municipal Airport Building.
A Historic Fire Station
In the 1930s, Albuquerque was growing very quickly. New homes and businesses were appearing along Central Avenue. This area was known as the East Mesa. The city needed to provide services like fire protection to these new areas.
The government had special programs called the New Deal to help cities during the Great Depression. One of these was the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The WPA gave Albuquerque $14,300 to build a new fire station.
Building the Station
City architect E. H. Blumenthal designed the fire station. Construction began and finished very quickly. It was completed in November 1936, after only five months. The total cost for the project was about $24,000.
The building became Fire Station No. 3 for Albuquerque. It first had one pumper truck and a crew of five firefighters. In 1952, the station was made bigger. This allowed it to hold a longer ladder truck and a crew of ten.
Changes Over Time
By the 1970s, the fire station faced new challenges. The doors were too small for the newest fire engines. Also, its location on busy Central Avenue made it hard for trucks to get in and out quickly.
So, in 1972, the city built a new Fire Station No. 3. It was located about four blocks away. The old Monte Vista Fire Station was then sold.
After being a fire station, the building had many different uses. In the 1970s and 80s, it was an art gallery, a church, and even a film studio. In 1985, it was turned into a restaurant and bar. It was named Monte Vista Fire Station, and it's still open today!
The building was recognized for its history in 1981. It was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties. Then, in 1987, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Building Design
The Monte Vista Fire Station was designed by E. H. Blumenthal. It is a two-story building with a three-story tower on one corner. Its style is called Pueblo Revival. This style looks like the traditional adobe buildings of New Mexico.
The building is made from structural clay tile. It is covered with stucco to look like adobe. It has special features like stepped walls at the top, called parapets. It also has wooden beams sticking out, called vigas.
The tower has windows that are placed in a zig-zag pattern. This follows the stairs inside. The tower also has a tall, open space in the middle. This space was used for drying fire hoses after they were used.
The building still has its original garage doors. They are about 14 feet tall. It also has its original wood-framed windows. In 1952, a matching addition was built at the back. This was to fit the larger fire trucks.
