Fire Station No. 23 (Los Angeles, California)
former fire station in Downtown Los Angeles
Fire Station No. 23 is a former fire station in downtown Los Angeles. Built in 1910 as an operating station, it was also the Los Angeles Fire Department's headquarters until 1920 and the residence of every fire chief from 1910 to 1928. The station created a political firestorm when it opened, due to its ornate interior and expensive imported materials, leading to its being called the "Taj Mahal of fire stations".
After 50 years in operation, the station closed in 1960. It was declared a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument in 1966 and entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It has also become a popular filming location. Motion pictures filmed here include the Ghostbusters movies, Set It Off, The Mask, Police Academy 2, Flatliners, Firehouse and National Security.
History
Construction and operation
In early 1909, the city of Los Angeles announced plans to build a three-story fire station in downtown's wholesale and manufacturing district that would also serve as the department's headquarters. Plans submitted by Hudson and Munsell were approved by May and the F. O. Engstrum Company was awarded the building contract in June.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Fire Station No. 23 (Los Angeles, California)” is former fire station in Downtown Los Angeles. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Fire, Station and Angeles, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “former fire station in Downtown Los Angeles” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 5, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5451467. Authority coordinates are 34.046, -118.247. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1910, 1920, 1928 and 1960.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Fire Station No. 23 (Los Angeles, California)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Fire Station No. 23 (Los Angeles, California) primary sources, Fire Station No. 23 (Los Angeles, California) archive and Fire research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Fire Station No. 23 (Los Angeles, California)”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Fire Station No. 23 (Los Angeles, California)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.