National Register of Historic Places

Fire Station No. 2

Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa
Listed
November 29, 1988
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
88001321

About this property

Fire Station No. 2, also known as El Mecca Shrine Club, is a historic building in Waterloo, Iowa. The city's paid fire department was established in 1904; previously, private fire companies served Waterloo. Built in 1907, this is the only early fire station remaining in the city. The building is an eclectic combination of Renaissance Revival and Romanesque Revival styles, and was designed by prominent Waterloo architect John G. Ralston. Decorative elements on the main floor include columns with foliated capitals that support a broad entablature. The second story is primarily brick with lighter stone accents that create a polychromatic effect. The building functioned as a fire station until 1969, when the city built five new stations. Afterwards, Black Hawk County used the building as an office for issuing food stamps. El Mecca Shrine acquired the building in 1976 and converted it into a restaurant and club. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Location

716 Commercial St.
Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa
42.49376, -92.33820

Categories

ARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Nearby Historic Sites

Hotel Russell-Lamson
Industrial
0 mi
Black Hawk County Soldiers Memorial Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi
YMCA Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Campbell Baking Company
Industrial
0.2 mi
Chicago, Great Western Railroad-Waterloo Freight Depot
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fire Station No. 2 listed on the National Register?

Fire Station No. 2 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 1988.

What type of historic resource is Fire Station No. 2?

Fire Station No. 2 is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fire Station No. 2?

The period of significance for Fire Station No. 2 is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Fire Station No. 2?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Fire Station No. 2 will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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