Fire stations in Columbus, Ohio

This is a list of historical and operating fire stations in Columbus, Ohio, part of the Columbus Division of Fire (CFD). Buildings in this list are grouped by station number and are sortable by name, date, and status.[1][2][3][4][5]

Map
Interactive map of active CFD fire stations

Most of the stations' official names date to 2002, when they were designated by the department in memory of firefighters or in honor of the surrounding neighborhoods.[6]

Early engine houses

edit
Name Dates of CFD operation Image Location Status Notes
Chemical House No. 1 1880–1896
 
736 Oak Street Demolished Originally called Hose House 5; remodeled in 1892 for Chemical Engine Company No. 1, made up of African-American firefighters. Replaced with Engine House No. 12
1897–1913
 
2105 W. Broad Street Demolished Housed Chemical Engine Company No. 1; closed when Engine House 17 opened.[7]

Numbered stations

edit
Station
number
Dates of
CFD operation
Alternate names Image Location Status Notes
1 1854–1892 Gay Street Engine House / North Engine House / Engine House No. 1
 
  More images
18 E. Gay Street Demolished On the site of the Ruggery Building[8][9]
1892–1952 Engine House No. 1
 
  More images
89 N. Front Street Demolished Served as headquarters of the fire department. Firefighters relocated around 1942, while police and fire communications crews and equipment were vacated in 1952.[10] The building was razed in 1954.[11][9]
1908–1982 Engine House No. 1 / 16
 
  More images
260 N. Fourth Street In use Today the Central Ohio Fire Museum
1982–present Station 1 and Station 9
Union Station Engine House
 
300 N. Fourth Street In use [12][13][14][15][16]
2 1859–1876 South High Street Engine House / South Street Engine House
 
35 E. Fulton Street Demolished [17]
1877–1892 Engine House No. 2 / Fulton Street Fire Engine House
 
35 E. Fulton Street Demolished [18]
1892–1962 Engine House No. 2
 
  More images
27 E. Fulton Street Demolished Demolished for the interstate
1962–2015 Engine House No. 2
 
150 E. Fulton Street Demolished Titled "Fire Station # 2–3" in the 1980s[19][20][21]
2017–present Station 2
John W. Nance Fire Station
 
150 E. Fulton Street In use
3 1855 c. 1855–1962 Engine House No. 3
Donaldson Engine House
Central Engine House
 
  More images
133 S. 3rd Street Demolished Expanded and retitled No. 3/Donaldson in 1872, after Luther Donaldson who helped secure better fire protection for Columbus. Served as headquarters until No. 1 opened in 1892. Expanded and renamed simply "Engine House No. 3" in 1894. Taken out of service December 8, 1962[22] and sold at auction in 1967.[23]
1962–c. 2015 Engine House No. 2
 
150 E. Fulton Street Demolished Titled "Fire Station # 2–3" in the 1980s[19][20]
2015–present Station 3
Mitchell J. Brown Fire Station
 
222 Greenlawn Avenue In use Built on the site of CFD's administration building, training academy, maintenance building, and communications department.[19]
4 1874–1892 Flowers Engine House
 
479 N. High Street Demolished Completed in June 1874.[24] Evans & McAllister, a shoe store founded in 1888, moved into the building in 1892. [25][26][27][28]
1892–1945 Engine House No. 4
 
147 E. Russell Street Demolished [11]
1957–1975 Engine House No. 4
 
2266 Lockbourne Road Demolished Built as a fire station for Marion Township in 1941;[29] incorporated into CFD in 1957;[30][31] also included a former schoolhouse.[32][33] The demolition permit was approved in 2021, as the structure was aging and there were concerns of a roof collapse.[34]
1975–present Station 4
Berwick Fire Station
 
3030 Winchester Pike In use [35]
5 1894–1968 Engine House No. 5
 
  More images
121 Thurman Avenue In use Renovated for restaurant use in 1974.[36] Currently houses marketing company Big Red Rooster.[37]
1972–present Station 5
Olde Orchard Fire Station
 
211 McNaughten Road In use
6 1892–1966 Engine House No. 6
 
  More images
540 W. Broad Street Vacant Planned to house the Columbus Historical Society
1969–present Station 6
Sharon Woods Fire Station
 
5750 Maple Canyon Avenue In use
7 1888–c. 1965 Engine House No. 7
 
  More images
27 Euclid Avenue In use Houses Communications Workers of America Local 4501
1966–present Station 7
Buckeye Fire Station
 
1425 Indianola Avenue In use
8 1888–1968 Engine House No. 8
 
  More images
283 N. 20th Street In use Part of the Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services' East Opportunity Center
1968–present Station 8
Battalion Chief Herman Harrison Fire Station
 
1240 E. Long Street In use
9 1892–1961 Engine House No. 9
 
347 Buttles Avenue Demolished Demolished in February 1962[38][39]
1961–1982 Engine House 9
Station 25
Henry "Hank" Gowdy Fire Station
 
739 W. 3rd Avenue In use
1982–present Station 1 and Station 9
Union Station Engine House
 
300 N. Fourth Street In use
10 1897–2008 Engine House No. 10
 
  More images
1096 W. Broad Street Vacant
2008–present Station 10
Franklinton Engine House
 
  More images
1080 W. Broad Street In use
11 1897–1970 Engine House No. 11
 
  More images
1000 E. Main Street In use Used for offices[40]
1970–1992 Station 11
Don Scott Fire Station
 
Demolished Replaced by the current fire station
1992–present Station 11
Don Scott Fire Station
Upload image 2200 W. Case Road In use Built at the same time and with the same design as Station 32.[41]
12 1897–c. 1950s Engine House No. 12
 
  More images
734 Oak Street In use Primarily houses Gemüt Biergarten
1956–present Station 12
Lieutenant Frank D. Grashel Fire Station
 
3200 Sullivant Avenue In use
13 1892–c. 1957 Engine House No. 13
 
2468 N. High Street Demolished Opened as Chemical Engine House No. 2, renamed in 1898. Demolished in 1957.[42]
1967–present Station 13
Olde North Columbus Fire Station
 
309 Arcadia Avenue In use [43]
14 1907–2001 Engine House No. 14
 
1716 Parsons Avenue Vacant [44][45]
2001–present Station 14
North Graceland Engine House
Upload image 1514 Parsons Avenue In use
15 1907–1969 Engine House No. 15
 
650 E. Livingston Avenue Demolished Closed in 1969[40]
1969–present Station 15
Driving Park Fire Station
 
1800 E. Livingston Avenue In use
16 1908–1982 Engine House No. 1 / 16
 
260 N. Fourth Street In use Today the Central Ohio Fire Museum
2021–present Station 16
Mock Orchard Fire Station
Upload image 1465 Oakland Park Avenue In use
17 1913–1994 Engine House No. 17
 
  More images
2300 W. Broad Street In use Part of the West Side Family Health and Wellness Center[46][47][48]
1994–present Station 17
Hilltop Engine House
Upload image 2250 W. Broad Street In use [49]
18 1926–2006 Engine House No. 18 Upload image 1551 Cleveland Avenue In use [50][51]
2006–present Station 18
Herbert F. Turner/South Linden Fire Station
 
1630 Cleveland Avenue In use
19 1932–present Station 19
Lieutenant Jerry Kuhn/Northmoor Engine House
 
  More images
3601 N. High Street In use Oldest active fire station in Columbus
20 1951–present Station 20
Captain Pleasant Higgenbotham Fire Station
Upload image 2646 E. Fifth Avenue In use
21 1959–present Station 21
Eastmoor Fire Station
Upload image 3294 E. Main Street In use
22 1959–present Station 22
Lieutenant Jack Russ Southgate Fire Station
Upload image 3069 Parsons Avenue In use
23 1959–present Station 23
Big Walnut Fire Station
Upload image 4451 E. Livingston Avenue In use
24 1960–present Station 24
Northland Area Fire Station
Upload image 1585 Morse Road In use
25 1961–present Engine House 9
Station 25
Henry "Hank" Gowdy Fire Station
 
739 W. 3rd Avenue In use
26 1975–present Station 26
Hoffman Farms Fire Station
Upload image 5333 Fisher Road In use
27 1978–present Station 27
Great Northwest Fire Station
Upload image 7560 Smokey Row Road In use
28 1981–present Station 28
Steltzer Ridge Fire Station
Upload image 3240 McCutcheon Road In use
29 1984–present Station 29
Little Turtle Fire Station
Upload image 5151 Little Turtle Way In use
30 1988–present Station 30
Wyandotte Fire Station
 
3555 Fishinger Blvd In use
31 1988–present Station 31
Bolton Field Fire Station
Upload image 5303 Alkire Road In use
32 1991–present Station 32
Refugee Tract Fire Station
Upload image 3675 Gender Road In use
33 1981–present Station 33
County Line Fire Station
Upload image 440 Lazelle Road In use
34 2003–present Station 34
Sleepy Hollow Fire Station
Upload image 5201 Wilcox Road In use
35 2020–present Station 35 Upload image 711 Waggoner Road In use [52]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Columbus Division of Fire annual report 2019". digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org.
  2. ^ City of Columbus, Ohio (1901). Annual Reports of the Various Departments of the City of Columbus, Ohio, Together with a Financial Statement of the Receipts and Disbursements for the Year Ending December 31. American Publishing. p. 284.
  3. ^ "Annual Report". 1898.
  4. ^ "Columbus City Directory". 1925.
  5. ^ Drehers Simplex Street and House Number Guide, Columbus, Ohio, 1929 -1930. Columbus, Ohio: D. F. Dresher & Company. 1930. p. 61. Retrieved August 30, 2023 – via Columbus Metropolitan Library.
  6. ^ Carlson, Erik A. (December 31, 2002). "POLICE, FIRE BUILDINGS HONOR CITY HEROES". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 4B. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  7. ^ History of the Black Firefighter in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus, Ohio: Continental/Starbuck. 1981. p. 4 – via Columbus Metropolitan Library.
  8. ^ "Topics of the Day". The Columbus Dispatch. March 7, 1931. p. 4. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Hunter, Bob (2012). A Historical Guidebook to Old Columbus: Finding the Past in the Present in Ohio's Capital City. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press. p. 105. ISBN 978-0821420126. OCLC 886535510.
  10. ^ "No. 1 Engine House Deserted; City Must Build or Lose Site". The Columbus Dispatch. June 11, 1952. p. 19. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Barrett, Richard E. (2002). Columbus, Ohio: 1898–1950 in Vintage Postcards. Arcadia. ISBN 9780738519623.
  12. ^ Switzer, John (January 21, 1981). "Firefighters May Get 'Superstation'". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 16. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  13. ^ Stratton, Lee (January 22, 1981). "Portman Raps Super Fire Station Plan". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 19. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  14. ^ Stratton, Lee (January 25, 1981). "Chief Says Station Is Old Idea". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 13. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  15. ^ Stratton, Lee (February 3, 1982). "Fire station cost increases by $32,000". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 13. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  16. ^ Foster, Kathy Gray (October 4, 1982). "Fallen firefighters remembered at dedication". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 14. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  17. ^ Throckmorton Jr., Robert, ed. (1976). Columbus, Ohio Division of Fire: 1822-1976. Columbus, Ohio Division of Fire Historical Committee, Walsworth Publishing Company. OCLC 2809386.
  18. ^ Drugan, A. J. (March 31, 1963). "Stone Which Marked Fire House A Century Ago Found in Stairwell Wall". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 205. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  19. ^ a b c "Columbus Division of Fire Annual Report 1988". digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org.
  20. ^ a b Sullivan, Lucas (June 22, 2012). "Downtown firehouse to get new digs". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  21. ^ Henry, Megan (June 29, 2017). "Public Safety - A four-alarm honor". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 1. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  22. ^ "Old Bell". The Columbus Dispatch. November 3, 1963. p. 173. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  23. ^ "Abandoned Engine House Sold". The Columbus Dispatch. March 1, 1967. p. 6. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  24. ^ The Baltimore Underwriter: A Monthly Publication Devoted to the Interests of Insurance. Vol. 14. Sherwood & Company. 1875. p. 110.
  25. ^ "BenHayes". www.shortnorth.com.
  26. ^ "Columbus Shoe Store Celebrates 50th Anniversary". The Columbus Dispatch. May 8, 1938. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  27. ^ "North End Engine House". The Columbus Dispatch. July 10, 1874. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  28. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  29. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  30. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  31. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  32. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  33. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  34. ^ "Minutes: Regular Meeting of the Far South Columbus Area Commission" (PDF). Far South Columbus Area Commission.
  35. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  36. ^ Zurier, Rebecca; Bounds, A. Pierce (1991). Rawls, Walton (ed.). The Firehouse: an Architectural and Social History. New York: Artabras. ISBN 9780896600218. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  37. ^ Evans, Anne (April 16, 2012). "Take a look inside Engine House No. 5". Columbus Underground. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  38. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  39. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  40. ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Engine House No. 16". National Park Service. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  41. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  42. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  43. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  44. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  45. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  46. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  47. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  48. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  49. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  50. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  51. ^ Search page infoweb.newsbank.com [dead link]
  52. ^ Woods, Jim (March 24, 2020). "New Station 35 to cut response times for Far East Side residents, improve firefighter safety". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
edit