The Black Springs Volunteer Firehouse, associated with Nevada’s first African American Fire Chief, William “Bill” Lobster, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. This recognition highlights its historical significance in community development and ethnic heritage within the state. Constructed in 1970 through a community-led effort, it served as the only firehouse in the predominantly Black neighborhood of Black Springs until it was vacated in the mid-to-late 1980s.
The National Register of Historic Places designation is managed by the National Park Service (NPS) and acknowledges sites of historic and cultural importance. It also offers opportunities for preservation through grant funding and tax incentives to protect this important piece of Nevada’s history.
Black Springs became a predominantly Black neighborhood in the North Valleys area north of Reno, Nevada, during the 1950s. It was one of the few places where Black citizens could purchase property at a time when racial covenants and discrimination were prevalent in nearby cities like Reno and Sparks. The firehouse served as headquarters for the neighborhood’s volunteer firefighting organization from 1970 until the mid-1980s.
The firehouse symbolizes community self-determination and self-reliance. In 2022, efforts were made to recognize and rehabilitate the building, which now houses the Northern Nevada African American Firefighters Museum. The museum opened on April 26, 2022, at its location at Coretta Way and Kennedy Drive in Reno.
Owned by Washoe County and leased to the museum, the single-story garage building sits next to Westbrook Community Center. While modest in design without a distinct architectural style, it holds significant historical value.
The firehouse joins other notable sites in Reno and Washoe County listed on the National Register, such as St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral Complex and Newlands Historic District. Reno is one of six Certified Local Governments (CLG) in Nevada that participate in a partnership program with NPS for local preservation efforts.
For more information about this listing or the National Register program, interested parties can visit https://shpo.nv.gov/ or contact Jean-Guy Tanner Dubé at (775) 684-3439 or shpo-info@shpo.nv.gov.
