Jacksonville Fire Museum

The Jacksonville Fire Museum

Location of Jacksonville Fire Museum in Jacksonville
Established	1982
Location	Jacksonville, Florida
Coordinates
Visitors	12,677
Director	Wyatt Taylor
Public transit access	Bus: Talleyrand Shuttle
Website	jacksonvillefiremuseum.com

The Jacksonville Fire Museum serves the citizens of Jacksonville as part of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department's Fire Prevention Division. A vital link between Jacksonville's past and present, the museum hosts thousands of visitors each year, where they learn about the rich history of the City of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD). The museum is home to thousands of artifacts detailing the history of the fire service not only in Jacksonville, but the entire state of Florida. Exhibits include photos from and a diorama of the Great Fire of 1901, a fully restored 1902 LaFrance horse-drawn fire engine, and a 1926 American LaFrance fire engine.

The Catherine Street Fire Station, also known as Station 3, is home to the Jacksonville Fire Museum. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated as an official landmark of the City of Jacksonville. Having initially been home to an African-American company of firefighters, the building is also part of Florida's Black Heritage Trail and is registered with the Northeast Florida African-American Historical Society. The station was located at 12 Catherine Street for nearly a century before being moved in 1994 to its current home adjacent to Metropolitan Park.

The Jacksonville Fire Museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 AM to 4 PM and is free to the public.

Catherine Street Fire Station

Catherine Street Fire Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
File:Jax FL Catherine Street Fire Station04.jpg
Area	less than one acre
Built	1902
NRHP Reference #	72000309
Added to NRHP	June 13, 1972

On April 20, 1886, the Jacksonville City Council passed an ordinance creating a professional fire department. The department initially consisted of 3 fire stations and 17 men. Station 3, or the Catherine Street Fire Station, was located at 500 East Bay Street and manned entirely by African Americans. Henry Butler served as foreman along with privates Louis M. Kelly and J. Sirmans. Station 3 was also home to a hose reel pulled by a horse named George.

After Fire Station No. 3 was disbanded in 1933, the building was used first to host the Jacksonville Fire Department shop facilities, and then as a storage facility. The Catherine Street Fire Station was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1972, and turned into the Jacksonville Fire Museum in 1982.

The building was last renovated following a 1993 report highlighting a deterioration of its foundations.

External links

• Jacksonville Fire Museum - official site
• Duval County listings at National Register of Historic Places
  • Duval County listings
  • Museum of City Fire of 1901
  • Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs