Fire Station No. 2
Also known as: Old Dilworth Fire Station
Why it's listed
Built in 1909 on South Boulevard in Charlotte's Dilworth streetcar suburb, this two-story red brick fire station was designed with two equipment bays below and firefighters' quarters above. Charlotte architects Wheeler, Galliher and Stern drew the plans, and J. A. Jones built it for about $3,000. Its facade is notable for high arched openings, limestone keystones and bands of corbelled brick under a terra cotta-capped parapet. Inside, the concrete floor still bears hoof marks from the horses that were stalled there, and gas light fixtures and a brass pole survive. Dilworth residents had pressed the city for local fire protection, and the suburb was admitted as a borough in 1907 before the station was approved. Motorized equipment replaced horses by 1917, and a new station across the street took over in the late 1940s. As the oldest remaining fire station in Charlotte, it preserves evidence of early municipal services and decorative brick design.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the oldest surviving fire station in Charlotte and a rare, unique local example of decorative corbelled brick commercial and institutional design. It is also tied to the city's early twentieth century growth and municipal services, since Dilworth was annexed with the understanding that a station would be provided. The only significant change was removal of the horse stalls and hay racks.
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 80002886, listed October 22, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1212 South Blvd., Charlotte |
|---|---|
| County | Mecklenburg County |
| Listed | October 22, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002886 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Wheeler, Galliher & Stern, Architects; J. A. Jones, Contractor |
| Architectural style | Early twentieth century corbelled brick commercial/institutional design |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed on the form as unoccupied and vacant, in good condition and unaltered apart from removal of horse stalls; a nonprofit fire museum group owned it and hoped to restore it as a firefighting museum. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.21687, -80.85179 (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 80002886.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19461742
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.