Central Fire Station
Why it's listed
Central Fire Station, at 40 Pleasant Street in downtown Brockton, is a three-story red brick building with a granite foundation, a slate mansard roof and a corbelled brick cornice. Completed in 1884, it has a symmetrical north facade with a projecting central pavilion, two engine bays with paneled wooden doors, and decorative dormers. A hose drying tower once held the bell used as the fire alarm. Its exterior has changed little over time, apart from a small west wing added later. The building was designed by Waldo V. Howard, a successful late nineteenth-century Brockton architect who also designed the Satucket Block, the Gardner Block and the First Universalist Church. It was listed as a well preserved example of Second Empire architecture and for its link to early electric lighting. Finished a year after the Edison Electric Illuminating Company station began operating, it is described as the first electrically illuminated fire station in the country. It remains a working fire station.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a well preserved and maintained example of the Second Empire style, one of the finest in Brockton. It is also cited for a technological achievement: completed a year after the Edison Electric Illuminating Company power station began operating, it is described as the first electrically illuminated fire station in the nation.
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 77000193, listed July 25, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 40 Pleasant St., Brockton |
|---|---|
| County | Plymouth County |
| Listed | July 25, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000193 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific date 1884) |
| Architect / builder | Waldo V. Howard |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Invention |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as a fire station; the exterior has changed little since 1884, though a one-story wing was added to the west side at an unknown date. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Within district | North Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.08503, -71.02098 (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 77000193.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5061078
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.