Fire Station Number 4
Also known as: Merrimon Avenue Fire Station
Why it's listed
Fire Station Number 4 at 300 Merrimon Avenue in Asheville is a two-story brick building completed circa 1927 to a design by architect Douglas D. Ellington. Its multi-colored brick walls, paired rounded arches over the bay doors, and a feather motif set into the brickwork reflect Ellington's Art Deco-influenced style. A five-story hose and training tower adjoins the rear. The station was built during the city's 1920s municipal building program, which followed the 1922 Asheville City Plan, to give north-side neighborhoods fire protection. An engine company and a hook-and-ladder company were stationed here, and the tower served as the fire department's main training site for most of the century. Its modest scale suited the surrounding residential streets while its ground floor held equipment and the upper floor housed firefighters. Emergency response ended about 1974 because the doors could not admit modern engines. The department returned in 1982, and the building retains its original exterior and largely intact floor plan.
Significance in brief: The station is argued to be an excellent example of an early twentieth-century suburban fire station and the work of architect Douglas D. Ellington, whose Art Deco-influenced designs shaped 1920s Asheville. It also reflects the city's 1920s municipal building campaign to bring services such as fire protection to growing north-side neighborhoods. It served as the department's main training facility for most of the twentieth century.
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 00000336, listed April 6, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 300 Merrimon Ave., Asheville |
|---|---|
| County | Buncombe County |
| Listed | April 6, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000336 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1927-1950 |
| Architect / builder | Ellington, Douglas D. |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Fire department stopped using it for emergency response about 1974; reoccupied by the department in 1982. Arson Task Force offices are on the second floor and the rest is used for storage. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 35.60897, -82.55456 (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 00000336.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18150071
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.