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Historic Name

Fire Hall

Address

E D Street
Upland, CA 91786

Evaluation

Building
5/8/2007

Construction Date

1915

Current Owner

City of Upland

Current Owner Address

460 n Euclid ave
Upland, CA 91786

Description

Located on D Street between the Carnegie Library and the old City Hall, the city's first fire department is a two-story building of brick vernacular design. Although the facade has been stuccoed, the side and rear elevations retain their original brick exteriors. A modified, triangular pediment surmounts the facade. The ground floor opening, double doors with a broad, flattened arched opening, large enough to accommodate a fire engine, have been removed. On the upper story a bank of three eight-over-one double-hung sash windows are centered. Original fenestration, consisting of flat-headed double-hung windows within segmentally arched openings characterizes the rear and sides of the building. At some point wings were added on either side of the facade joining the building to its neighbors. Despite its alterations the old fire department is still recosnizable as such and is in good condition.

The Upland Fire Department was organized as a volunteer department in 1907. In its early years directories listed its headquarters at 220 Second Avenue. Fletcher H. Manker, of the Sikes Manker Paint Company, was the fire chief during many of these early years. Between 1914 (when the directory cites the Second Avenue location) and 1917, when a manuscript history of Upland was written, the building on D Street was erected. This sequence of events is confirmed by the 1912 Sanborn, which does not yet show the "fire hallm on D Street. According to the aforementioned manuscript the brick structure next to the library cost $3000. It was the second of the original three buildings in Upland's Civic Center. The building remained in use for many years; its exact date of vacation is unknown.