PHOTOS: La Crosse Fire Station No. 5 has another claim to fame, in addition to being the last station in the city to use horse brigades: It’s now listed on the State Register of Historic Places.
The Wisconsin Historical Society, which bestowed the distinction on the station last month, cements the building’s heritage as the last surviving firehouse in the city, although it’s no longer used as a fire station.
The two-story brick structure was built in 1895, according to La Crosse Public Library Archives. Two large doors served as the entry to the large apparatus bay room, where firefighting equipment was housed.
The second story originally contained a club room, offices and a dormitory. A rear addition contained stables for the horses and a hayloft.
Fire Station No. 5 was built just as La Crosse was transitioning from volunteer fire companies to a professional, paid, city-run fire department, according to the historical society.