, also known as 鈥淧ride of the Points,鈥� is the longest continually operated firehouse in Denver. More importantly, it's also the only station with a legacy of all-Black fire crews. The building's community significance along with its design and craftsmanship are just a few of the qualities that prompted it to be added to the National Register of Historic Places, .
The single-story, Spanish bungalow-style building stands out on Washington Street in the Five Points area. It鈥檚 made of red and brown bricks with a white stone band wrapping around the building.
鈥淭he windows are the exact same, the materials, the design, nothing has changed with this building,鈥� said Damion Pechota, the National State Register Historian for History Colorado. 鈥淲hich, for Denver and for additional fire departments, is quite unusual, especially a single engine fire department.鈥�
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Adding the station to the National Register of Historic Places is one of many steps History Colorado is taking to preserve more important spaces that have previously been overlooked. Historians recently found that only 4% of the historic places listed in the State Register recognized underrepresented communities, despite Denver's historic and thriving Black, Latino, Asian, and LGBTQ+ communities. The state is also looking at locations that are notable for those with disabilities. The goal of its program is to consult the community and add 150 more sites to the state register in the next two years 鈥� in hopes that national recognition will follow suit.
鈥淲e recognize that that won't move the needle that much, but this, something like this has never happened before,鈥� Pechota said. 鈥淭his is really an effort to change the conversation of how we look at preservation, so that in 2027 and 2028, we continue moving that needle to having that process.鈥�
Pechota said this site was a 鈥渟lam dunk鈥� for meeting all the criteria needed to add it to the National Register 鈥� not only for its architecture, but also for its significance to the multicultural community of Five Points. For many years, this station was the only place Black firefighters could work.
The fire station officially opened in 1888 on Glenarm Place before being moved to Washington Street. Black men were not allowed to join the team until 1893. They worked under a White Captain until 1897, when Silas Johnson became the first Black Captain for Denver Fire.
But even with this all-Black crew, they were still segregated until the late 50s. They couldn鈥檛 rise in the ranks until someone retired or died.
鈥淔or those that did achieve it (a higher position), oftentimes they were given second-hand equipment or used equipment, which often put them in danger,鈥� Pechota said. 鈥淎s a result, they were often put in positions where they would get injured very easily, or even, in some cases, died.鈥�
In 1938, two fire engines crashed into each other, with the engine from Fire Station No. 3 being 鈥渒nocked into the air and flopped over on its side, trapping the fire crew underneath it, according to the . James Simpson and Captain G. W. Brooks were killed and several other members could 鈥渘ot speak鈥� due to their intense injuries.
Although the engine was later found to have only two-wheel brakes and inferior technology, some leaders stereotyped the Black firemen and blamed them for the crash. Terri Gentry grew up in the Five Points area and now works for History Colorado. She says this history is something that their community鈥檚 grandchildren need to know and pass on.
鈥淟ooking at the men that may have suffered serious injuries and were unable to continue, looking at the men that gave their lives in different ways to serve at that station, it's a story that needs to be preserved and documented,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey were change-makers, and they made an impact on the whole state in the work that they did. And I want to make sure we honor and celebrate that.鈥�
But the station provided more than just fire protection, it was a hub for community services.
鈥淭his was a place where people often went and got haircuts, where they could go to get their car fixed because they didn't know how to get their car fixed and they couldn't afford to do it,鈥� Pechota said. 鈥淪o this was more than just a fire station. It really is a community place.鈥�
At one point the station was decommissioned, but only for 24 hours. Community leaders petitioned for it to be reinstated. The Five Points community rallied behind its greater importance.
鈥淭his is so amazing for me too, not just our community, my family, this legacy that it puts in place," Gentry said. "It's showing respect for the members of our community,鈥� she said. It shows the respect and honor for each and everything that my great grandparents experienced.鈥�
The station is still in operation and is an integral space to the Five Points Community. The Denver Fire Department hosted a recognition ceremony Thursday at the station, with Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Denver Fire Chief Desmond Fulton giving remarks.
If you have a site you want to see added to the State Register of Historic Places, you can fill out History Colorado's recommendation form .
