East Taunton Fire Station
Why it's listed
This brick fire station on Middleboro Avenue in East Taunton was built for the City of Taunton and is the last of the city's fire stations constructed in the 19th century. A date plaque reads 1889, though the narrative gives 1899. East Taunton had grown from a small railroad settlement into a populated village, and residents lobbied for a station near the village center. It replaced a rented building owned by P.H. Corr, in a more remote part of town, which had housed the Old Colony Engine Company. The building has a roughly rectangular plan, a hipped roof and a five-bay facade, with two engine bays in the last two bays. Windows are segmental-arched, both paired and single, with rock-faced stone sills. A first-story bay window, a roof dormer and a hose tower project from the structure. Its style is described as Queen Anne with Colonial Revival elements. It was listed for its link to the growth of municipal services and as a fine local example of late Victorian public architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the last of the city's fire stations built in the 19th century. It reflects the expansion of municipal services and the growth of East Taunton from a small railroad settlement into a populated village. It is also described as a distinguished local example of late Victorian public institutional architecture.
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 84002112, listed July 5, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Middleboro Ave., Taunton |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | July 5, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002112 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne/Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the City of Taunton; present use listed as fire/police station. Doors were replaced in the 20th century. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.88236, -71.03313 (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 84002112.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5329489
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.