History Nebraska announced Omaha Fire Station No. 5 is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, ketv.com reported.
Omaha Fire Station No. 5 was built in the 1940s as the city underwent improvements following World War II. It replaced a fire station that was built in 1906.
The architectural design of the building near 25th and L streets was created to modernize the fire department’s response.
History Nebraska said the following about Fire Station No. 5:
“Construction began on the approximately 9,000-square-foot building in 1948 and finished in 1949. Canopies and pilasters emphasize horizontal lines and rounded corners, characteristics of the Streamline Moderne architectural style. The fire station exhibits minimal alterations; therefore, it retains a high level of historic integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association.
“Omaha Fire Department No. 5 is an excellent local example of the Streamline Moderne architectural style. Nationally popular in the 1930s and through the 1940s, the distinctive style captured the streamline simplicity of horizontal lines, rounded corners, and flat roofs. It was inspired by the aerodynamism of modern transportation machines such as the airplane, the train, and the automobile.
“Overall building massing followed simplified forms. Ornamentation was minimal; walls were smooth. Linear sunshade canopies and stylized fonts would often be the only decoration. The Omaha architectural firm of Steele, Sandham and Steele was contracted by the City of Omaha to design the new building. The firm designed the exterior of the single-story building with an emphasis on horizontal lines. These are exhibited in the linear canopies and the horizontal banding at the building’s base and parapet. Rounded projecting pilasters and the rounded corners of the stepped-up parapet reflect the aerodynamic nature of the Streamline Moderne architectural style. Even the smooth finish of the poured concrete building exterior was streamlined. The iconography of the building, in a stylized torch and the lettering of “O.F.D. No. 5” etched into the center of the stepped-up parapet, also signify the building’s modern style.”
The building was closed in 2022 as a new station location was built.
