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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fire Education Center and Museum
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Contact Information:
704-338-SAFE (7233)
Location:
420 West 5th Street
Museum Hours of Operation:
Wednesday: 9 am to 4 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 4 pm
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The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fire Education Center and Museum is housed in a 79-year old fire station, Fire Station No. 4, located at the intersection of North Church and Fifth Streets in Uptown Charlotte. Up until its closure in 1973, the station was home to three busy fire companies that responded to fires in downtown and west Charlotte. Today, the recently renovated two-story structure features a goldmine of relics and artifacts related to the fire service, including:
Old photographs and newspaper clippings, including references to a 1940 fire at the Guthrey Apartments at 508 N. Tryon St. The blaze, which killed nine people, still ranks as the city's deadliest.
Memorials to fallen firefighters, including Josh Earley, who died in March 2002 fighting a house fire.
A steamer horse drawn pumper from the early 1900s.
A switchboard from the 1940s.
A 1948 Mack Fire Engine.
An old, five-foot firebox that used to stand on a Charlotte sidewalk (a passerby could pull a lever to report a fire).
A 1970s Dictaphone.
A gift shop.
Education Center organizers also are planning an exhibit on the history of blacks and women in the Charlotte Fire Department.
The idea of opening a fire education center and museum had been tossed around for more than 30 years, and in 1997 firefighters began raising funds for the effort, in part by selling parking spaces for Carolina Panthers football games at a parking lot across the street from the education center.
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By 2001, firefighters and volunteers had earned enough money to begin renovations, and over the course of one year put in thousands of hours painting, laying hardwood floors and setting up displays. Their hard work paid off on June 8, 2002, when the facility officially opened; their goal now is to double in size and gets a full education center up and running as soon as possible.
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For more information on the Charlotte Fire Museum, please click here.
Historical Facts about the Charlotte Fire Department:
- The first mention of the of a fire service in Charlotte records occurred in 1845, when the Board of Alderman approved payment for the repair of a fire engine.
- The first fire marshal was hired during the summer of 1887; the Charlotte Fire Department was officially formed that August.
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In the late 1800s, the Charlotte Fire Department responded to an average of 1400 calls per year. Today, that average number of calls exceeds 87,790
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