Central Fire Station
Also known as: New Braunfels Fire Museum; New Braunfels Fire Department Station 1
Why it's listed
Central Fire Station, at 203 W. Foster in Pampa, Texas, is a two-story buff brick building with terra cotta trim, finished in July 1930. Amarillo architect William R. Kaufman designed it with Beaux Arts styling and modest Georgian ornamentation. Three arched garage bays face the street, and the upper floor holds offices, a kitchen and rooms for firefighters. Terra cotta urns top the parapet. It replaced earlier, smaller fire buildings on the site after oil discovered in 1926 swelled Pampa's population from about 910 residents in 1922 to roughly 10,000 by 1926. A 1929 bond election funded a new fire station, city hall, streets and parks. The station sits beside the county courthouse and city hall, also by Kaufman, in a group called Million Dollar Row. It was the city's only fire station until 1957 and still serves that purpose. Its listing rests on its role in the city's planned civic center and on its architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it reflects the growth of city services in oil-boom Pampa and forms part of a planned civic center known as "Million Dollar Row." It is also described as an excellent regional example of Beaux Arts civic architecture by Kaufman, with Georgian ornamentation.
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). NRHP reference 100004753, listed December 3, 2019. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 169 Hill Ave., New Braunfels |
|---|---|
| County | Comal County |
| Listed | December 3, 2019 |
| Reference number | 100004753 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1930 - 1949 |
| Architect / builder | W.R. Kaufman & Son, architect; Panhandle Construction of Pampa, builder |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals: Beaux Arts |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in service as a fire station and described as in very good to excellent condition with a high degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.15 |
| Coordinates | 29.70080, -98.12581 (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 100004753.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives)
- Wikidata Q110000304
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.