On April 20, 1886, the Jacksonville City Council passed an ordinance creating a professional fire department. The department initially consisted of 3 fire stations and 17 firefighters. Station 3, or the
Catherine Street Fire Station, was located at 500 East Bay Street and staffed entirely by African Americans. Henry Butler served as foreman along with privates Louis M. Kelly and J. Sirmans. Station 3 was also home to a hose reel pulled by a horse named George. After Fire Station No. 3 was disbanded in 1933, the building was used first to host the Jacksonville Fire Department shop facilities, and then as a storage facility. The Catherine Street Fire Station was added to the
U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1972 and converted into the Jacksonville Fire Museum in 1982. It was delisted on August 22, 2023. The building was last renovated following a 1993 report highlighting a deterioration of its foundations. The building is currently closed for more renovations. ==References==