Engine House No. 16
Also known as: Central Ohio Fire Museum
Why it's listed
Engine House #16 is a brown-red and buff brick firehouse at 260 North Fourth Street in downtown Columbus, completed in 1908. It has three engine bays, a rear stable, polychrome brickwork, corbelled parapets and an 80-foot square hose tower with arcaded, round-arched openings. It was the last Columbus firehouse built for horse-drawn engines; motorized apparatus arrived the following year. The station closed in 1982 when a new Engine House #1 opened, and a nonprofit then leased it from the city to create a fire museum. A 1990 restoration rebuilt the facade, parapet and tower using historic photographs and custom-colored brick. Interior features such as the pressed tin ceiling, horse stall doors and central staircase survive. It was one of four nearly identical engine houses, and it is the only one that retains its original appearance. It was listed for its architecture as a well-preserved example of early twentieth-century civic design.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an excellent, well-preserved example of a turn-of-the-century Columbus firehouse under Criterion C. It was the last Columbus firehouse built for horse-drawn apparatus. After restoration it is the only one of four nearly identical engine houses that keeps its original appearance.
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 95000580, listed May 11, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 260 N. Fourth St., Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | May 11, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000580 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1908 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals (heavily influenced by Italianate, not fitting a particular stylistic category) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored and in use as the Central Ohio Fire Museum; exterior restoration undertaken in 1990. The fire station closed in 1982. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.96829, -82.99675 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 95000580.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q60521324
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.