{"nrhp_refnum":"79000485","name":"Engine Company No. 28","other_names":["Los Angeles Fire Station No.28"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"644--646 S. Figuara St","address_restricted":false,"city":"Los Angeles","county":"Los Angeles County","state":"CA","lat":34.04965653900007,"lon":-118.25921008599994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-11-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story reinforced concrete fire station with basement at 644/646 South Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles, built in 1912 to designs by architects J.P. Krempel and W.E. Erkes, with Kubach and Company as builder.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is one of very few old buildings left in downtown Los Angeles' commercial district and one of the first reinforced concrete fire stations in the area. It is a local adaptation of Renaissance Revival detailing with an unusual brick facade. It also documents the city's growth and early motorized fire fighting and fire alarm systems.","narrative":"Built in 1912, Engine Company No. 28 is a three-story fire station with a basement at 644/646 South Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles. Designed by architects J.P. Krempel and W.E. Erkes and built by Kubach and Company, it is constructed of reinforced concrete, with a brick street facade and stucco on the other sides. Twin parapet towers with recessed arches, two-story arched window bays, cartouches and a modillioned cornice give the front a Renaissance Revival character. Inside, the first floor retains a brick floor, Italian tile wainscot, molded tin ceilings and a mahogany alarm console. It was one of the first reinforced concrete fire stations in the area and was built for motor-driven apparatus and the city's central fire alarm equipment. Fire Department reports from the period document its equipment and the push for a modern alarm system. Surrounded by skyscrapers, it is one of few older buildings left in the commercial district. When nominated it stood vacant, with plans to convert it into an arts center.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Architects: J.P. Krempel & W.E. Erkes; Builder: Kubach and Company","architectural_style":"Renaissance Revival / Lombardy influence with \"classical\" detailing","criteria":[],"status_note":"Owned by the City of Los Angeles and vacant at the time of nomination; planned for conversion into an arts center. Condition listed as excellent to good and altered.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.670205-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/79000485.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79000485/d64c1d90fc-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79000485/d64c1d90fc-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Photographer — Julius Shulman","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fire_Station_No._28,_644_South_Figueroa_Street,_Los_Angeles_(Los_Angeles_County,_California).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Photographer — Julius Shulman</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fire_Station_No._28,_644_South_Figueroa_Street,_Los_Angeles_(Los_Angeles_County,_California).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123859087","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_Company_No._28","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5377700"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/los-angeles-county/engine-company-no-28-79000485/"}