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Fire Station No. 2 (Waterloo, Iowa)

Buildings and structures in Waterloo, IowaFire stations completed in 1907Fire stations on the National Register of Historic Places in IowaIowa building and structure stubsNational Register of Historic Places in Black Hawk County, Iowa
Northeast Iowa Registered Historic Place stubsRenaissance Revival architecture in IowaRomanesque Revival architecture in IowaShriners
Fire Station No. 2 Waterloo, Iowa
Fire Station No. 2 Waterloo, Iowa

Fire Station No. 2, also known as El Mecca Shrine Club, is a historic building located in Waterloo, Iowa, United States. The city's paid fire department dates from 1904. Prior to that Waterloo was served by private fire companies. Built in 1907, this is the only early fire station left in the city. This building is an eclectic combination of the Renaissance Revival and the Romanesque Revival styles. It was designed by the prominent Waterloo architect John G. Ralston. The decorative elements on the main floor are found in the columns with foliated capitals that support a broad entablature. The second story is primarily brick with lighter stone accents for a polychromatic effect. The building was used as a fire station until 1969 when the city built five new stations. Black Hawk County used the building as an office to issue food stamps. El Mecca Shrine acquired the building in 1976 and converted it into a restaurant and club. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Fire Station No. 2 (Waterloo, Iowa) (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Fire Station No. 2 (Waterloo, Iowa)
Commercial Street, Waterloo

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 42.493833333333 ° E -92.338194444444 °
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Address

El Mecca Club

Commercial Street
50702 Waterloo
Iowa, United States
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Fire Station No. 2 Waterloo, Iowa
Fire Station No. 2 Waterloo, Iowa
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Nearby Places

Waterloo East Commercial Historic District
Waterloo East Commercial Historic District

The Waterloo East Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Waterloo, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. At the time of its nomination the district consisted of 36 resources, including 28 contributing buildings, and eight non-contributing buildings. The city of Waterloo was established in the early 1850s. Its first settlers started developing the west side of the city before crossing the Cedar River and developing east side. The first Black Hawk County Courthouse was built on the east side in 1856 and East Waterloo Township was created two years later. As industry began to develop along the river, and the arrival of the first railroad in 1861, the commercial district on the east side began to grow. Also on the east side of town was the terminus of the streetcar-turned-interurban system. By 1900, the city became one of the primary wholesale and retail centers in northeastern Iowa. In 1911 the Black population increased significantly as workers, primarily from Mississippi, moved into town to work for the Illinois Central Railroad. The following year the saloons in town were closed and bootlegging, gambling, drugs, and prostitution started to increase in the area surrounding the central business district. All of these developed put together created the atmosphere of the downtown commercial district. For the most part, the commercial buildings in the district are constructed of brick and are two to three stories in height. There are also several taller multi-story buildings located here, and they represent the "high water mark in the district’s physical development." All of the buildings follow the styles popular at the time of their construction, including Italianate, Neoclassical, and Commercial. Architects who have buildings in the district include John Bartley, John T. Burkett, Howard B. Burr, Mortimer Cleveland, George Ellis, Hallett & Rawson, Emile G. Jehle, Josselyn & Taylor, Joseph C. Llewellyn, John G. Ralston, Fred G. Shaw, and Clinton P. Shockley. Fires in the 1920s and 1950s impacted the appearance of the district as most of the fire-damaged were given stylish new facades. Several other buildings were given updated facades in the 1940s and the 1950s. The buildings that do not contribute to the historic integrity of the district had their facades resurfaced in more recent decades. The Fowler Company Building (1884) and the Marsh-Place Building (1910) are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.