Old Station #1
History can serve as a source of nostalgia for what once was but can also provide hope and imagination for what will be. Firefighting has a rich history in Baton Rouge. Beginning in 1825 as a loosely organized group of men, the fire department grew into a pillar of community and today has the potential to play a vital role in rekindling Baton Rouge’s Mid City into a viable economic, social, and cultural center.
South elevation of the Laurel Street Fire House;
Photo: David J. Kaminsky,Summer 1978. |
The Laurel Street Firehouse (formerly Station #1) served as an active fire station for 85 years in Mid City until it was decommissioned in 2011 when a new station was constructed nearby. The fire house was built in 1926 along with three other stations in the early years of firefighting in Baton Rouge. The Fire Department wishes to repurpose the space into a museum for near-century-old fire trucks, early 20th century firefighting equipment and a 9/11 exhibit. The building would also act as a venue for fire prevention education, charitable fundraising and community outreach as well as a meeting place for the Firemen’s union. Students took an inventory of artifacts including uniforms, equipment and fire trucks at the Fire Department’s existing storage space in Downtown Baton Rouge. They also met with firemen and members of the fire department’s administration to assess basic needs and better understand the history of firefighting in Baton Rouge, the old fire station and surrounding neighborhood. Students shared ideas and received feedback from members of the fire department and discussed ideas for hosting a community event to celebrate Old Station #1. | |
Students meet with Fireman Mike Paternostro to
evaluate the collection of artifacts. |
October 8, 2012, the studio and the Fire Department hosted Rekindle Mid City - a community potluck of food, stories and people at Old Station #1. The event was a way to celebrate the history of Mid City and the Fire Department, to learn more about the area and to exhibit the firehouse site as a valuable public space. At the end of the semester, students hosted a public pinup of the design proposals at the Mid City Merchants' White Light Night. The studio hopes to continue the project with the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance and the Baton Rouge Fire Department and eventually develop a final design. |
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