Auburn Fire House No. 2
Also known as: Auburn Hose Company No. 2
Why it's listed
Fire House No. 2 is a two-and-a-half-story wood building in Old Town Auburn, California, finished in red and white in 1891. Local volunteers of Auburn Hose Company No. 2 and their wives raised the money to build it after the company had stored equipment in the street or an old shed. It was the tallest building in town and held a 700-pound bell in its belfry. Its steeply pitched pyramidal roof, covered in alternating bands of straight, octagon and diamond shingles, and its gabled dormers mark it as Shingle style, an unusual form for a firehouse. The building served as a fire station until 1958. In December 1957 the state highway department moved it about fifty feet to make way for freeway widening, keeping its orientation. It then opened as a museum for antique fire apparatus, and its image has been used in the city's logo. It was listed for its architecture and its role in local civic history.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion C as a unique local example of Shingle style architecture, with its steep pyramidal red-and-white striped roof and belfry. It is also significant locally as a civic building that served as Old Town's fire house from 1891 until 1958. The relocation was minor and kept the building's orientation, so integrity was judged sufficient.
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 11000937, listed December 19, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Corner of Washington, Main, & Commercial Sts., Auburn |
|---|---|
| County | Placer County |
| Listed | December 19, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000937 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1891-1960 (amended by the Keeper to 1891-1957) |
| Architectural style | Victorian - Shingle |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Very good condition; used as a fire apparatus museum since 1958, with some shingles needing replacement and some paint chipping. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Old Auburn Historic District |
| Coordinates | 38.89614, -121.07944 (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 11000937.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q60748076
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.