Fire Station No. 14
.jpg){kind=link}
Why it's listed
Built in 1949 at the corner of South Central Avenue and East 34th Street in Los Angeles, this fire station is a modest International Style building of reinforced concrete, ranging from one to three stories. Its street front pairs a one-story pedestrian entrance with a two-story truck bay, joined by red brick veneer, and a three-story hose tower sits at the northwest corner. The station replaced an earlier Fire Station #14, opened in 1936 for Black firefighters, which stood next to it. It matters because the Los Angeles Fire Department assigned its African American firefighters to segregated stations, and this was one of only two. The arrangement reflected discriminatory policy while also providing a source of community pride. Pressure from groups such as the NAACP and the Stentorians organization contributed to full integration of the department in 1956. Architect Earl T. Heitschmidt designed the building, and the exterior is largely intact.
Significance in brief: The station is significant under Criterion A in the area of Ethnic Heritage (Black) as one of two segregated all-black fire stations in Los Angeles. It represents both racial segregation in the fire department and a source of pride for African American firefighters until the department was fully integrated in 1956.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 09000147, listed March 17, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3401 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | March 17, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000147 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1949-1956 |
| Architect / builder | Heitschmidt, Earl T., architect |
| Architectural style | Modern Movements - International Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a fire station; the form says the building retains all aspects of integrity, with the fire truck doors replaced as the only apparent exterior alteration. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.01254, -118.25683 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 09000147.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5451455
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.