Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Fire Station No. 6
37-39 Boulevard, N.E.
Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, June 24, 2015
1. Fire Station No. 6 Marker
As a boy Martin Luther King, Jr., played basketball behind Fire Station No. 6 and watched the white crews go out on calls. He and his friends knew that they could not dream of becoming firefighters because of the city’s segregation laws. Finally, in 1963, 16 blacks were allowed to join the paid force, and, a few years later, Station 6 became the city’s first integrated station.
When I was a kid…Station 6…was like a meeting place for all the kids…It was a place you could go to get information, to get help if you needed it. It was a vital part of the community…Billy Jordan
The city’s first black firefighters (above) worked at Station 16 in Southwest Atlanta.
Firefighters muster here at Station 6 in 1928.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work. A significant historical year for this entry is 1963.
Location. 33° 45.323′ N, 84° 22.32′ W. Marker is in Atlanta, Georgia, in Fulton County. It is in the Old Fourth Ward. It can be reached from the intersection of Boulevard NE and Auburn Avenue NE, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 474 Auburn Ave, Atlanta GA 30312, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Piedmont. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers.
this page online
Another marker is no longer nearby. Historic Fire Station No. 6 (was here, next to this marker but has been confirmed missing).
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker was replaced by the one transcribed above
Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, June 24, 2015
2. Fire Station No. 6 Marker
Directly above the marker is a marker from the station's founding that reads, "Station No. 6 erected 1894. Board of Firemasters. John E. Goodwin, Mayor, Jas. M. Stephens, Chairman, Albert Howell, John A. Colvin, Chas. E. Harman, John H. Welch, W.B. Joyner, Chief, Bruce & Morgan, Architects, Wagener & Gore Flor., Contractors"
Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, June 24, 2015
3. Fire Station No. 6 Marker
Marker is visible on the corner of the Fire Station.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 20, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 727 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 20, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
