Old Central Fire Station
Why it's listed
Built in 1895 at 66 Allen Street, the Old Central Fire Station served Pittsfield's fire department for eighty-one years, until 1976. It sits one block east of North Street, beside City Hall and just above the Park Square Historic District. The building is a two-story brick structure, 100 feet wide and 70 feet deep, with a 60-foot hose tower, set on a rusticated granite base. Its design is a simple Queen Anne style with Richardsonian Romanesque touches, including round granite arches over the engine bays, paired segmental windows and a granite plaque reading "PFD, Central Station, 1895." The original tower steeple was removed in the mid-1920s and the tower raised nine feet. Interiors have been altered, though the engine bays keep their pressed tin ceilings. E.J. Cowell, the city's building inspector, designed it. It was listed as the oldest surviving fire station in Pittsfield, and for its architecture and its place in downtown planning.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the oldest existing fire station in Pittsfield and notes its architectural styling and scale. It was built for the newly organized City Fire Department, which used it until 1976. The form also cites its role in downtown planning and in local politics and government.
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 77000177, listed November 2, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 66 Allen St., Pittsfield |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire County |
| Listed | November 2, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000177 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific date 1895) |
| Architect / builder | E.J. Cowell |
| Architectural style | Simple Queen Anne with Richardsonian Romanesque detailing |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant; the fire department left in 1976, and the nomination anticipates a mixed professional and commercial use. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Within district | Park Square Historic District (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 42.44949, -73.25213 (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 77000177.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7083626
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.