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Central Little Rock
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Central Culture 0

Little Rock Fire Station No. 2

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Little Rock Historic Fire Station No. 2

Fire Station No. 2 was built near City Park (now MacArthur Park), in the popular Craftsman style of the time, with a large front porch supported by tapered wood columns on stone bases, exposed rafter tails, widely overhanging eaves, and multi-pane casement windows. It also had elements of Spanish Revival style: dramatic parapets rising above a red tiled roof. The porch served as an entry to the two engine bays.

Fire Station ca 1920

The building originally featured a tile roof and parapets, elements of Spanish Revival styles of architecture. Source: www.ArkansasPreservation.com

The station operated until the late 1950s, and then went through numerous reincarnations as a base for non-profit and civic organizations. While the interior was altered considerably over time, the exterior of the building remains much the same as when it was built, except for the absence of the original parapets and roof tile.

This historic building will soon have a new incarnation as Firehouse Hostel and Museum, a unique low-cost lodging facility for tourists in affiliation with Hostelling International-American Youth Hostels. With the help of donations and considerable volunteer work, the hostel is expected to open later this year.

Craftsman style roof details
 Exposed roof rafters and wide eaves are characteristic of early 20th century Craftsman style.

Great care has been taken by preservationists to retain and restore the unique, historic charm of the fire station while converting it to comfortable, modern accommodations.  The boarded engine bays and ceiling openings for fire poles are being incorporated into the décor. The hostel will also serve as a museum for the display of vintage fire fighting memorabilia and equipment—including two trucks—courtesy of the city fire department, which we presume is grateful not to have to haul any of it by hand.

original glazed brick
The original glazed brick interior was discovered beneath wood paneling, and is being restored.

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Arkansas Women Blogger member Kyran Pittman has been chronicling her "big, little life" online and in print since 2006. Along the way, she became a contributing editor to Good Housekeeping magazine, where her work frequently appears; and the author of a memoir, "Planting Dandelions: Field Notes from a Semi-Domesticated Life," published in 2010 to critical acclaim (including a 4/4 star review in People magazine). A Canadian ex-pat, she lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with her husband and three sons, where she continues to tell her "story of us" at PlantingDandelions.com, a Babble Top 100 Mom Blog.

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