Pictured is a vintage postcard view of Memorial Auditorium, which you know today as the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts. But did you know the building originally contained a Raleigh fire station?
Memorial Auditorium was completed in 1932 on the south end of Fayetteville Street, on the grounds of the old Governor’s Palace. It cost $300,000 to build and replaced the old City Auditorium at Fayetteville and David streets, which burned in 1930.
The new building included a fire station in the rear, located under the stage. By combining the facilities, the City saved the cost of building a new fire station. It also provided the auditorium with 24-hour watchman service without further cost.
Drill Tower, Training Grounds, too
The bays of new Fire Station 2 faced Fayetteville Street on the stage-right side of the auditorium. The building’s rear section was designed to be used as a fire department drill tower and the rear parking areas were used as training grounds.
Station 2 at Memorial Auditorium also housed the fire department’s aerial ladder truck from 1941 to 1953 and the service ladder truck from 1941 to 1948. The auditorium fire station was closed in October 1969, when a new Station 2 opened at its present location on Pecan Street.
Memorial Auditorium has undergone several dramatic renovations and expansions over the decades, and the fire station façade is no longer visible in the rear of the building.
Shown is a News & Observer photo from 1968 and still photos from a 16-millimeter film, circa 1950. You can watch the 31-minute movie on the Raleigh Fire Museum YouTube page.
(Editor’s Note: This information and photo are provided by RFD historian Mike Legeros)
