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Charlotte Fire Station Number 5 is a
two-story, two-bay-wide, brick building that faces south and sits
close to Wesley Heights Way in the Wesley Heights neighborhood of
Charlotte. The building is located on in a row of low
commercial buildings, and is located less than two blocks from West
Trade Street, a busy commercial artery. But the Fire Station
is near outer edge of the current and historic commercial
development. Single family homes are located directly behind
the station, and houses line Wesley Heights Way (formerly
Tuckaseegee Road) to the west. The fire station has retained a
high degree of integrity and is in good condition.
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| Station No. 4 |
Station
No. 6 |
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| Station No. 7 |
Wesley Heights Houses |
Charlotte Fire Station Number 5 was one of several
fire stations designed by Charlotte architect Charles Christian
Hook. In contrast to Station 4, which reflects in its
architecture the commercial nature of the Uptown area, Station 5
responds more to the domestic architecture of the surrounding
residential neighborhood. This is also true for Hook's
Stations 6 and 7, which were also built in suburban
setting. Station
5 incorporates elements of the Spanish Eclectic and Mission
Styles. While these styles are fairly rare in Charlotte, the
styles blend well with the many bungalows found in the neighborhood.
The
building's decorative architectural elements are concentrated on the
symmetrical facade. Built on a concrete slab, the facade
features shaped granite blocks at the base of the wall. These
blocks project slightly from the wall and into the bay openings,
protecting the softer brick from damage. The facade is
veneered with wire-cut brick laid in running bond. A
band of bricks composed of alternating headers and stretchers is
laid vertically on the stone blocks. All of the wall openings
and the corners of the facade are highlighted by shallow projecting
brickwork. The facade is dominated on the first story by the
two simple rectangular garage-door openings. The metal
segmental overhead doors close against metal jams that wrap the
sides and the top of the deep opening. Doors and jams
date from the second half of the twentieth century. Between
the doors and to either side of the doors are original wall sconces
with globes. It is quite remarkable that these fixtures have
survived.
Above
each door opening is a band of brick delineating the lintel.
The same vertical brick-pattern found at the base of the wall is
used here. On the second story shallow balconies project
out, directly above the doors. The balconies appear to be
concrete slabs with scalloped corners. The impression of the
rough lumber forms can be seen from below. The edges of the
balconies are covered with bronze coping. Iron
handrails, painted to match the bronze, feature finials on the
post. The centers of the spans feature bent forged balusters
with a cast floral medallion. The concrete balcony floors
originally were recessed into the building with segmental-arched
openings and curved walls leading to door. The openings have
been infilled with brick forming wide window openings containing
triple ganged windows composed of two fixed and one
double-hung. The windows are now shaded by metal awning.
The awnings and the current window configuration can be seen in
photographs dating to 1958.
Set
in the brickwork between the balcony floors is a cast stone marker
bearing "CFD No 5." Above the marker is a narrow
window with a one-piece stone sill, with a single-light replacement
sash.
The
corners of the facade feature small shaped roof parapets with stone
cove coping. The shallow
projecting brickwork follows the shape of the parapet. The brickwork
in the center of the parapet below the coping is laid in a keystone
shape with nearly vertical bricks. Between the parapets a
shallow hipped visor roof shelters the facade. The roof
features terracotta tile and is supported by exposed rafters with
curved-sawn tails.
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The wire-cut brick
that veneers the facade also covers the first bays of the side
elevations. As on the facade, the shallow
projecting brickwork highlights the edges of the bays and
follows the shape of the parapets. The parapets over the
side elevations are wider than the front parapets, and on the
sides the vertical brickwork resembles a shallow pointed
arch.
The fire station is
five bays deep. On the east elevation the first
bay contains a replacement door. Above the door the
second story is pierced by a window opening with a simple
brick sill and a soldier-course at the lintel. Beyond
the first bay on both side elevations, the wire-cut brick laid
in running bond is replaced with common bricks laid in
American bond.
Beyond the first bay,
the east elevation features four large window openings, all of
which have been infilled with brick. At the top of the
window opening the lintel is delineated by a soldier course of
brick. No sills for these windows survive. A small
window has been inserted into one of the large
openings.
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On
the second story, beyond the first bay, the elevation is pierced by
six additional window openings. Openings are filled with
replacement windows and feature simple brick sills, and a
soldier course of brick at the top of the opening.
Above the windows, a row of small vents are set in the wall to allow
for attic ventilation. Beyond the first bay, the elevation is
topped by a simple three-step parapet with tile coping.
The
west elevation is similar to the east elevation. In the first
bay, the elevation is pierced by a window opening like that found on
the second story, otherwise the fenestration is a mirror image of
the east elevation, with the remainder of the first story windows
infilled with brick. A tall metal exhaust flue is attached to the
west elevation.
The rear elevation features a simple external brick chimney
set close to the east elevation. The rear elevation was
originally pierced by four openings. A tall opening in the
first storycontains a replacement door with a fixed transom.
To the west, a window opening is partially filled with brick and a
short replacement window. On the second story two original window
openings have been infilled with brick.
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This photograph
of the southwestern corner of the building demonstrates the
two different brick patterns on the exterior of the building.
The facade features a running bond,
a bond with offset rows of stretchers. The side
and rear elevations feature a much more typical
American Bond pattern, with five rows of stretcher bricks laid
between each row of locking header bricks |
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