City Fire Department
Also known as: AAA Vacuum Cleaner Supply House
Why it's listed
Built in 1920 at 1338 and 1340 Broadway in downtown Columbus, this one-story yellow brick building began as the city's Fire Station No. 1. Its design borrows from the Bungalow style: a hipped red tile roof with hipped dormers, wide eaves, and a porch running the length of the front facade. Four square brick pillars support the porch and a central pediment, and the three-bay front has a wide central double door flanked by two doors with transoms. The station served the downtown mills and Broadway business establishments. In the early 1950s the First National Bank of Columbus converted it to a branch bank, adding a vault and leasing half the space to the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. The bank closed the branch in 1955, and the building sat empty for several years before a vacuum cleaner supply business occupied it. It is again vacant. Its significance rests on the adaptation of a residential style to a civic purpose and on its role in local fire protection.
Significance in brief: The building is significant architecturally for adapting the Bungalow style, usually residential, to a community use, with a tile roof, wide eaves and Bungalow proportions. It is also significant locally as a 1920s fire station that served the downtown mills and Broadway businesses.
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 80001153, listed September 29, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1338 and 1340 Broadway, Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Muscogee County |
| Listed | September 29, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001153 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Bungalow |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as vacant, in fair condition, with very few alterations apart from the conversion to a branch bank. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 32.47210, -84.99298 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 80001153.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q60747661
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.