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Ordinance Designating Fire Station No. 2 at 602 South 5th Avenue as a Local Historic Landmark
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Department: Planning & Development Meeting Date: 11/17/2026 Contact Name: Alden Finholm Public Hearing: Yes Contact Phone: 910-772-4165 Advertising Date/Advertised By: November 6, 2026,
November 13, 2026 /Star News Attachments: Attachment #1: Ordinance; Attachment #2: Case Summary; Attachment #3: Case Map; Attachment #4: Local Landmark Application; Attachment #5: Applicant Photos; Attachment #6: State Historic Preservation Office Comments; Attachment #7: Property Tax Bill
PURPOSE:
The applicant requests that Fire Station No. 2, located at 602 South 5th Avenue, be designated as a local historic landmark.
BACKGROUND:
Pursuant to N.C.G.S. §§160D-945 and 160D-946 and Chapter 18 of the City Code, the City has the authority to designate local historic landmarks. This ordinance would designate the property at 602 S. 5th Ave, including the interior of the building, as a local historic landmark and would require approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness (“COA”) by the Historic Preservation Commission (“HPC”) for major alterations to the building's exterior and interior. Designation as a local historic landmark also makes the property owner eligible for a 50% property tax deferral.
Fire Station No. 2 is significant for its association with the development of the Wilmington Fire Department and its architectural character. Constructed in 1915, the building was designed by local architect James F. Gause, Jr., to serve as a fire station for Engine Company No. 2, which occupied the building until 1956. The property is also associated with Fire Chief Charles Schnibben, the first chief of Wilmington’s professional Fire Department, established in 1897. Schnibben advocated for the construction of the station and the modernization of the department’s equipment. During its early years, Engine Company No. 2 relied on horses to pull its firefighting appara...
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