Fire Station No. 30-Engine Company No. 30
Also known as: The African American Firefighter Museum
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Why it's listed
Fire Station #30 is a two-story masonry fire station at 1401 South Central Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, completed in 1913 along with a small Cook's House and a perimeter wall. Its Central Avenue and 14th Street facades carry pilasters, bracketed cornices and tall windows, and a small crenellated tower marks the northeast corner. In 1924 the fire department assigned all of its black firefighters to this station under Lieutenant George Bright, after white crews were removed amid threats of a strike. It became one of two all-black stations in the city, a source of community pride that also reflected racial segregation. Promotion for black firefighters stopped at captain until the department integrated fully in 1956. The building was abandoned and badly damaged by an arson fire in 1985, then rehabilitated from 1995 to 1997 to house the African American Firefighter Museum. Its listing recognizes this role in the city's African American history.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion A as one of two segregated fire stations in Los Angeles. From 1924 all of the city's black firefighters were assigned there, making it a symbol of both racial segregation and community pride until the department was integrated in 1956. The Keeper revised the period of significance to 1924-1956.
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 09000148, listed March 17, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1401 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | March 17, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000148 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1924-1956 (revised by the Keeper from the nominated 1913-1956) |
| Architect / builder | Backus, James, Superintendent of Building, City of Los Angeles |
| Architectural style | Late 19th & Early 20th Century American Movements - Prairie School |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated 1995-1997 and now used as the African American Firefighter Museum; it had been abandoned and damaged by arson fire in 1985. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.02841, -118.24726 (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 09000148.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5451472
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.