Central Fire Station
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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, completed in July 1930. Amarillo architect William R. Kaufman designed it with Beaux Arts styling and modest Georgian ornamentation, and Panhandle Construction Co. of Pampa built it. Three arched garage bays on the north face house fire trucks, while the upper floor holds offices, a kitchen, dining and living rooms, and small rooms for firefighters. Oil discovery in 1926 pushed Pampa's population from about 910 in 1922 to roughly 10,000 by 1926, and a 1929 bond election funded a new city hall, fire station, streets and parks. The station stands beside the city hall and the Gray County Courthouse, all by Kaufman, in a group called "Million Dollar Row." It served as the city's only fire station until 1957 and remains in service, with little alteration to its original character.
Significance in brief: It represents the growth of city services during Pampa's oil-boom expansion and forms part of a planned civic center known as "Million Dollar Row" alongside the courthouse and city hall. It is also an 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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 99001623, listed December 30, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 203 W. Foster, Pampa |
|---|---|
| County | Gray County |
| Listed | December 30, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001623 |
| 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, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a fire station; described as in very good to excellent condition with a high degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.53498, -100.96267 (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 99001623.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q59155467
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.