Nashville History: Engine Company 18

Engine Company 18

The Station

by Debie Oeser Cox

A rendering of the new fire hall proposed for Gallatin Road appeared in the Tennessean on Oct. 3, 1929

A rendering of the new fire hall proposed for Gallatin Road appeared in the Tennessean on Oct. 3, 1929. The architects were C. K. Colley & Sons. The building contractor was W. R. Smith & Sons. The Art Deco design was very popular in the United States in 1930. The stepped lines on each side of the parapet over the bay door and the flat roof are additional Art Deco elements. One can almost see the flames leaping around the smaller door. The chimney is reminiscent of the tower design used in some Art Deco buildings. Other Art Deco features are the portholes and keyholes used in the design of the facade. The hose nozzles that sat above the keyholes, completed the Art Deco touches. They were removed at some point, possibly when the fire station was abandoned about 1990. The brick pattern and the arched doors, bring in the suggestion of Tudor Revival influence.

City Property Collection, Metro Nashville Archives, ca 1940.

Engine Company 18 was in business by mid-May and was officially opened on Thursday, June 5, 1930. The crew assigned to the company was Capt. J. W. Smiley; Lieut. A. L. Mitchell; Eng. H. F. Leitenberger; Asst. Eng. F. C. Heist and J. M. Freeman, John Curran, J. S. Woods, L. S. Porter, W. J. Maloy and C. E. Willis as pipemen.[Tennessean, April 24, 1930]

Nashville Banner, June 1930

This fire station provided fire protection for East Nashville along the Gallatin Pike corridor, to the Nashville City limits. They also provided backup for the private Inglewood-Madison fire department as needed. Before this fire hall opened, the nearest stations were on Holly St. at 16th and on Meridian St.
The building was abandoned as a fire station about 1990 and sat empty for years after. Around the year 2005 Walmart acquired the land, including the fire station, to build a retail grocery store. In 2006, former Councilwoman Pam Murray and her non-profit group NEON took possession of the building, with a promise to Walmart to renovate and reuse the old fire hall. The group did not follow through with the plans. A fire in 2011, caused heavy damage. The building was almost lost when a demolition order was issued after the fire. Walmart worked to regain ownership of the building from Murray and in 2013 the court ruled in Walmart's favor.

2015 Google Image

This Art Deco design can be used to see the lines of the Art Deco features in the building.

In 2015, local interior designer Karen Goodlow became the new owner. The building was completely renovated and given the name "The Station". Goodlow's design company, along with several other businesses now occupy the building. The building also serves as a community event space. The logo adopted for The Station is beautiful and I hope it is permissible for me to share it here. In 2016, the building was added to The National Register of Historic Places. If not for Ms. Goodlow, the little building would probably have been demolished. The Station is a wonderful example of how to save and repurpose and historic building.