herr2ck: Columbus Fire Station 14

February 2026.

← Engine House No. 13 & Station 13 | Engine House No. 14 & Station 14 | Engine House No. 15 [demolished] & Station 15 →

Engine House No. 14 is one of Columbus’s historic “engine houses.” Of these stations, it is the furthest south, all the way down in Hungarian Village. It remains vacant since its closure, but hopefully an adaptive reuse is forthcoming.

Engine House No. 14 is located at 1716 Parsons Avenue in the Hungarian Village neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. It is bordered by Hinman Avenue and a pawn shop to the north, houses to the south and east, and Parsons Avenue to the west.

History

Historic photo of the station. Note the now-missing ornament along the roofline and the tower’s cupola. (Wikimedia)

Like the other early 20th century fire stations in Columbus, Engine House No. 14 was built to serve the growing Hungarian Village neighborhood and the surrounding area, while also combating the poor water pressure further from downtown (the fire stations previously used hoses instead of fire engines). A simpler example of the Romanesque Revival style, its architect is unknown, but I actually found a source with its builder--Albert Sisco, a local general contractor. It opened in 1907.

Station 14. (Columbus Division of Fire)

Engine House No. 14 was used by the city until 2001. It was replaced by a newer building five blocks north on Parsons Avenue at 1514 Parsons, which takes some design cues from the original. Though its official name is Station 14 or the North Graceland Engine House, the station is interestingly nicknamed the “Elvis Presley Station.” When the firemen were having their annual inspection party in the 1990s, one of them brought a bust of Elvis. The assistant fire chief was reportedly displeased and asked why it was there, and the station’s captain explained that it was conforming with the Division Systems Manual’s suggestion for firemen to “do their best to fit into the neighborhood.” The name stuck, and locals began to donate Elvis-related memorabilia to the station. The bust remains, and a street sign on the side of the building still reads “Elvis Presley Boulevard.”

Photos

Snowy view of the building from Hinman Avenue around Goethe Street:

I was trudging through the unspoiled snow in the vacant lots across the street from the station. This stretch of Parsons must have had the Angel of Death visit--most remaining buildings have big gaps between them. (More like the Angel of White Flight and Municipal Divestment.)

If you teleported me back 100 years, I’d be stuck in the brick walls of some commercial building.

West facade:

It seems like the original windows are intact behind the boards, but the building needs some love. The cinder-block portion at right is an addition, most likely intended for taller fire engines.

I’ve always loved this sort of battlement-like cornice design of Columbus’s vernacular Romanesque Revival architecture.

It’s integral to the walls’ construction and therefore cannot be easily removed by “water and stupid men,” and it even includes the building’s name on the parapet. It also adds a sense of strength and visual weight to the fire station.

Oblique view from Hinman and Parsons: