Auburn Fire House No. 1
Also known as: Auburn Hose Company No. 1
Why it's listed
Auburn Fire House No. 1 is a two-story wooden firehouse completed in February 1888 and now standing at El Dorado Street/Highway 49 and Lincoln Way. Its front-gabled roof, bargeboard, patterned shingles, cutaway bay windows with balconies, and red-and-white paint combine Stick and Queen Anne details. The town's volunteer Hose Company No. 1 and Frederick Birdsall, who owned the Bear River and Auburn Water and Mining Company, jointly built it. The fire company used the ground floor for its apparatus, and the water company's office occupied the upper floor. Members John Davis and Frank Hoffman directed construction. It was the first firehouse in Auburn and served until the 1930s, and the fire department used it into the 1950s. In 1973 it was moved about 100 feet to make room for a savings and loan headquarters. Because it kept its design, materials and workmanship, it was listed for architecture. The exterior is in excellent condition, and the building is vacant.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion C in the area of Architecture as an outstanding local example of a non-residential government building combining Stick and Queen Anne elements. It was Auburn's first firehouse. Despite its 1973 move, it retains its architectural integrity.
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 11000936, listed December 19, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | El Dorado St. & Lincoln Way, Auburn |
|---|---|
| County | Placer County |
| Listed | December 19, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000936 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1888 |
| Architect / builder | Davis, John and Hoffman, Frank--Builders |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/ Stick and Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The building is vacant, its exterior is in excellent condition, and static displays are planned for the interior. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.90341, -121.06679 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 11000936.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q60748057
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.