[Historic Marker Application: Magnolia Park City Hall and Central Fire Station] Page: 1 of 23

                                
Texas Historical Commission staff (AD), 12/14/2009, rev. 1/8/2010, rev. 1/13/2010
27" x 42" Official Texas Historical Marker with post
Harris County (Job #09HR02)Subject FD, BU, JA (Atlas) UTM: 15 278068 E 3291848 N
Location: Houston, 7301 Avenue F
MAGNOLIA PARK CITY HALL
AND CENTRAL FIRE STATION
THE CITY OF MAGNOLIA PARK WAS INCORPORATED ON JULY 1, 1913, ON
PROPERTY FIRST DEVELOPED BY JOHN THOMAS BRADY IN 1890 AS A LARGE
EXCURSION PARK. FOR THE MUNICIPALITY'S FIRST TEN YEARS, CITY OFFICES
WERE LOCATED IN VARIOUS TEMPORARY FACILITIES, ALL SITUATED ALONG
HARRISBURG BOULEVARD.
BY THE EARLY 1920s, OFFICIALS DECIDED TO CONSOLIDATE ADMINISTRATIVE
OFFICES FOR THE MAYOR AND CITY ALDERMEN WITH THE CENTRAL FIRE
STATION IN A SINGLE BUILDING AT THE SITE OF THE CITY'S ORIGINAL FIRE
STATION, WHICH WAS RAZED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE NEW STRUCTURE.
DESIGNED BY THE HOUSTON ARCHITECTURAL FIRM OF McLELLAND & FINK AND
CONSTRUCTED BY MAGNOLIA PARK CONTRACTOR CHARLEY DAHL, THE
COMBINED CITY HALL AND FIRE STATION WAS DEDICATED ON JULY 1, 1923, THE
TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF MAGNOLIA PARK'S INCORPORATION.
ON OCTOBER 16, 1926, THE CITY OF HOUSTON ANNEXED THE CITY OF
MAGNOLIA PARK. THIS FACILITY THEN SERVED THE HOUSTON     FIRE
DEPARTMENT AS FIRE STATION NO. 20 AND AS A REGIONAL BATTALION
HEADQUARTERS. A HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT SUBSTATION WAS ALSO
LOCATED HERE. EVENTUALLY, THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT VACATED
THE BUILDING AND FIRE STATION NO. 20 WAS RELOCATED IN 1973. THE
BUILDING HAS ALSO SERVED AS A HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT VOTING
LOCATION.
THE TWO-STORY DARK RED BRICK AND CAST STONE BUILDING IS DIVIDED BY
VERTICAL PIERS INTO SECTIONS, WITH AN ENTRANCE DOOR LEADING TO A
STAIRWAY TO SECOND FLOOR OFFICES ON THE WEST, AND THE FIRE STATION
AND SUBSEQUENT ADDITIONS TO THE EAST. LATER RENOVATIONS INCLUDED A
BRICK CALABOOSE APPENDED TO THE BUILDING'S EAST SIDE. THE PARAPET
OVER THE ENTRY CONTAINS A SCALLOPED PEDIMENT FRAMING A CAST STONE
PANEL INSCRIBED "CITY HALL."
RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK - 2009

MARKER IS PROPERTY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS