{"nrhp_refnum":"85000112","name":"Liberty Fire Company No. 5","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"501 S. 5th St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Reading","county":"Berks County","state":"PA","lat":40.32751300600006,"lon":-75.92627743899999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-01-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-and-a-half to three-story brick firehouse at the southeast corner of South Fifth and Laurel Streets in southwest Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania. The original two-story building dates from 1854, and a larger two-story building designed by Edward K. Mull was erected on the site in 1876, later given a third floor in 1895.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is the last firehouse in Reading to retain its original appearance and use, and that its combination of utilitarian purpose and architectural quality makes it one of the most important landmarks in the city and county. The interior is described as largely unchanged from the 1870s, including original furniture, moldings, wallpaper and lincrusta. The building is also presented as an example of Victorian architecture and of the local firehouse's role in serving a growing southwest Reading neighborhood.","narrative":"Built on the southeast corner of South Fifth and Laurel Streets in southwest Reading, this firehouse was first erected in 1854 as a two-story brick building. In 1876 it was replaced by a larger two-story structure designed by Edward K. Mull, and a third floor was added in 1895 by L.H. Focht and Company to a design by Alexander F. Smith. The lower stories are Italianate and the upper floor is Victorian Romanesque, joined through repeated arched window hoods and pilastered arcades. The building is regarded as the last firehouse in Reading to keep both its original appearance and its original use. Its interior retains original 1876 furniture, moldings, wallpaper, brass hardware, chandeliers and lincrusta paneling, and stained glass by the J.M. Kase Glass Company. It remains an active volunteer fire company, which the listing cites as central to its significance.","period_of_significance":"1876-1895","architect_builder":"Edward K. Mull (architect); Alexander F. Smith (architect); L.H. Focht and Company (builder)","architectural_style":"Italianate with Victorian Romanesque third floor addition","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Functioning firehouse in use","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:33.255375-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/85000112.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85000112/b9f594ef4c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85000112/b9f594ef4c-1600.webp","licence":"CC0","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liberty_No_5_Reading_PA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liberty_No_5_Reading_PA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71997952","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Fire_Company_No._5","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6541713"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/berks-county/liberty-fire-company-no-5-85000112/"}