Fire Station #5

35.983522, -78.930914

2212
Chapel Hill Road
Durham
NC
Cross Street
Ward Street
Year built
1960
Architects/Designers
Ham, Marion A.
Architectural style
Modern
Construction type
Masonry
Neighborhood
Lakewood-Tuscaloosa
Use
Fire Station
Building Type
Government
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When Fire Station #5 opened in Lakewood in 1960, it was the first expansion of the number of fire stations in Durham since 1926, when station #4 had opened on McMannen St. Station #4 had been replaced in 1957 by a new station #4 on Fayetteville St., which appears to have been identical to Station 5.



The station displaced an earlier house on the corner of Ward St. and Chapel Hill Rd., for which I don't have a picture.


Aerial shot of Chapel Hill Road, 1959, showing the beginnings of construction of the fire station (at the intersection closest to the top of the picture.)


A brand new Fire Station #5, 07.14.60
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)


Fire Station #5, 05.07.64
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)

The station cost $90,000 to build, and when Durham made the rather strange move to a unified 'Public Safety Officer' rather than separate police and fire departments in the early 1970s, Station 5 was the first to make the switch. The city reverted to separate police and fire departments in 1985.

Station 5 remains in operation, and I think it is the oldest station still in its original building.




35.983522,-78.930914

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Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 5/16/2008 - 4:41pm

nice... it looked much better with the all-glass garage doors though!

Submitted by Flyer (not verified) on Fri, 5/16/2008 - 8:26pm

Still in its original station yes, but not the oldest station running. Station 2 would take that prize opening in 1951.

Submitted by Flyer (not verified) on Fri, 5/16/2008 - 8:27pm

Still in its original station yes, but not the oldest station running. Station 2 would take that prize opening in 1951.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 5/17/2008 - 3:44am

i'm not a mid century modern guy myself, but you have to admit the font and aluminum letters on that thing are sweet!

also, gary, thanks for the aerial foto -- proof that the wisteria jungle between my house and the neighbors' was not always there. we're working on it :)

sean (2407 ch rd)

Submitted by Gary (not verified) on Tue, 5/20/2008 - 1:30am

Sean

I love the font/letters - FS4 on Fayettville (now thoroughly remuddled as the NCCU campus police station) had the same ones.

I think I saw you attacking the jungle this weekend as I drove by to take more pictures.

GK

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 1/11/2011 - 5:05pm

I was born (1942) and raised on the block of 2200 Chapel Hill Rd.
I remember watching them move the two story house where the fire station now sits. The house is now located behind the "store" on the opposite corner.
When I was a child, the store was operated by the Hobby brothers. They later sold to Mr. Carroll.
Mr. Carroll sold to "Pappy" Pickett.
The Hobby brothers later operated a grill near Maplewood Cemetery (grill was segregated with two doors and areas).
Mr. Carroll later operated a Sunoco service station on Chapel Hill Street.

Submitted by Bob Matherly (not verified) on Sun, 12/30/2012 - 2:22pm

In the 60's I remember haveing good natured bottle rocket fights with the firemen. We bought the bottle rockets from picketts store right next door to the fire station.

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