Abilene Fire Station No. 2
Also known as: 4917
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Why it's listed
Built in 1926 at 441 Butternut in Abilene, this two-story load-bearing brick building served as a city fire station. Large Tudor arches with double wood doors and cast stone hood moldings mark the first floor of the west front, while the second floor has paired and tripartite one-over-one windows trimmed with buff brick in an in-and-out bond pattern. A cast stone cornice and a brick parapet with cast stone coping finish the top. The interior stairwell and fire pole remain. The city built it for $10,565 on the south side of the Texas and Pacific Railway tracks, because the tracks hindered traffic from the main station on Cedar. Of four historic Abilene fire stations, only two still stand, and the other is heavily altered and now a residence. This station was listed for its architecture as the city's best and least altered local government building. It now operates as a specialty store but keeps its historic character.
Significance in brief: It is described as Abilene's best and least altered example of a local government building and the only city fire station that retains its integrity. It reflects the city's effort to provide fire protection during the 1920s boom, including service south of the railroad tracks.
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 92000200, listed March 23, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 441 Butternut, Abilene |
|---|---|
| County | Taylor County |
| Listed | March 23, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000200 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1926 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Converted from a firehouse to a specialty store; it retains its historic interior and exterior, including the stairwell and fire pole. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.44502, -99.73718 (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 92000200.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q59155472
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.