About this property
The Portage Street Fire Station is a former fire station located at 1249 Portage Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. As of 2018, the space houses the Fire Historical and Cultural Arts Collaborative. Kalamazoo grew rapidly at the end of the nineteenth century; in particular, southeastern part of Kalamazoo near Washington Square experienced rapid growth after a series of large paper mills opened nearby between 1890 and 1900. However, the area lacked adequate fire coverage. In 1903, the city council hired Kalamazoo architect Robert M. Gallup to draft plans for a new fire station. After some revision, local contractor Moore McQuigg was hired to construct the building. The station was completed in mid-1904. The station, called "Engine House No. 2," was used by the city until 1953 when a new fire station was constructed nearby. The building housed a laundromat until about 1976. However, the building became severely deteriorated. It was purchased by a new owner in 1982 and rehabilitated to house a contracting business in the first floor and office space upstairs. As of 2018, the space houses the Fire Historical and Cultural Arts Collaborative. The Portage Street Fire Station is a two-story orange brick structure, trimmed with yellow-gray, rock-face limestone, with a hip-and gable roof containing a total of five dormers. It measures 40 feet by 60 feet. It stands on a corner lot; attached to the building corner nearest the intersection is a pyramid-roof tower, projecting outside the footprint of the building proper. All of the building windows are one-over-one double hung units. The front facade has arched fire-door openings on the first floor. A limestone tablet in the front contains the inscription "Portage St. Fire Station."
Location
Categories
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.
Everything a full report reveals about Portage Street Fire Station
This page lists Portage Street Fire Station. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
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Questions about this property
When was Portage Street Fire Station listed on the National Register?
Portage Street Fire Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 11, 1985.
What type of historic resource is Portage Street Fire Station?
Portage Street Fire Station is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Portage Street Fire Station?
The period of significance for Portage Street Fire Station is recorded as the pre_contact era, specifically around 1249.
Can I research the history near Portage Street Fire Station?
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 Portage Street Fire Station will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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An Aubrey US report for an address near Portage Street Fire Station will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.