Designated Landmarks
Fire Station
667 4th Avenue
Landmark Designation: 1977
National Register: 1985
Construction Date: 1907
Architectural Style: Renaissance
Longmont had only been in existence for about five years when a disastrous
fire destroyed most of the frame buildings in the 300 block of Main Street.
Following the fire, the businessmen of the town realized a better equipped
volunteer fire company was needed, but there were no funds for the purpose.
Walter A. Buckingham, a partner in the Emerson and Buckingham Bank, offered
to organize and finance a fire company including the mechanical equipment
for more effective fire fighting and uniforms for sixteen volunteers. His
offer was contingent on the town providing a building to house the fire company.
The town donated the building which resulted in the establishment of the Walter
A. Buckingham Hook and Ladder Company. A second volunteer group, the Longmont
Hose Company Number 1, was founded in 1883 and a third, W.A. Tiffany Hose
Company, in 1897.
The Longmont Firehouse is the home of Longmont's first paid fire department
who rendered an extremely important service to the community at this location
from 1907 to 1971. The building is on the site of an earlier structure which
contained a firehouse, school and town hall. The first equipment housed in
this building was the horse drawn ladder wagon and the horses, Maggie and
Jiggs. Later "Old Ironsides", the first motorized pumper in northern
Colorado, was located in this building.
Today the building is used for office space and community service groups.
Reference
HPC 1977-2