Durham Fire Department

The Durham Fire Department was established in ~1890 with the "Golden Belt Hose Company." The first station was located at Holloway and North Mangum Streets, in the core of downtown.

Fire Station #2 was built in the midst of the later Liggett and Myers (then American Tobacco) factory buildings on West Main Street in 1902

And in 1911, Fire Station #3 followed on the east side of downtown, at South Elizabeth and East Main

Durham would rely on these three fire stations until the mid-1920s.

In 1924, Fire Station # 1 was replaced with a new, Milburn and Heister-designed structure that was similar in style to the original.

And for the first time in 15 years, the number of stations would expand in 1926 with the construction of Station 4 on McMannen Street (later South Mangum Street,) serving the burgeoning neighborhoods south of downtown.

In 1950, the original Fire Station #2 was demolished, and a new Station 2 was built significantly farther west, in the core of West Durham on Ninth Street.

In 1960, the number of stations would expand again with the addition of Station 5 on Chapel Hill Road, in the Lakewood Park neighborhood

In 1964, Company 1 moved to a new Fire Station #1, although the 1924 station was not demolished - this 1964 station remains its home today.

Comments

I remember well station No. 3 on East Main St., as my cousin Jube Evans was a number of years was a driver. I fondly remember going to the fire station when I was a small child and having lunch with the firemen and we always had tomato soup, also, in the back of the station Jube had a "gold fish" pond (or whatever it was called). Also, remember the Greek family, Dennos) who lived next door. Really great memories.

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