On the western side of Main Street, there’s a little red building you’ve probably walked past a thousand times. The little Main Street Firehouse quietly watches over Main Street without much fanfare. But this small building boasts a lot of details, from a secret apartment to an authentic turn-of-the-century fire engine.
Let’s take a closer look.
Most people know that Main Street USA was loosely based on Walt’s hometown in Missouri, but truthfully, that’s not the full story. While the overall conceptualization and many building facades come from Marceline, quite a few design elements actually come from old downtown Fort Collins, Colorado. Imagineer Harper Goff grew up in Fort Collins, and shared pictures with Walt as they put together design plans for the various buildings. One of those buildings was the old firehouse.
 Source: Coloradoan
The Main Street version is certainly not an exact replica, but the inspiration is definitely recognizable. As a lay person (definitely not an architect!) I particularly notice the building’s overall shape, pilasters, and the cornice at the top being an inspiration for the Disneyland version. The flagpole (which flies an orange Mickey Mouse flag), bell, and window designs don’t appear in the Fort Collins version, so it’s safe to assume those were dreamed up by the Imagineers. I love that this picture even shows a similar horse-drawn cart to the one in the park.
The bottom floor of the firehouse includes tons of little details that make the building feel like a real, working fire station. When Imagineers designed the building in the 50s, they included a real fire pole connecting upstairs. (Don’t get any ideas – the opening at the top has since been sealed off). In the doorway, you’ll notice the glass lamps say “FIRE” in red letters.
The upstairs of the fire department is home to Walt’s private apartment. The interior draws no inspiration from the Fort Collins building, following a grand Victorian design scheme. The furnishings and decor were designed by set designer Emile Kuri, who also contributed designs throughout the street. Behind the apartment, there’s a private terrace facing the Jungle Cruise‘s back forest. Walt’s wife Lillian used to invite guests for afternoon refreshments on the back terrace, hidden from passing park guests.
Source: Laughing Squid
The Firehouse has been watching over Main Street since the park’s opening in 1955. Walt stood in the window of the upstairs apartment as the first guests arrived in Disneyland. Since Walt’s passing in 1966, the front window has always displayed a glowing lamp, to signal that Walt’s spirit remains within the park.
As the street continuously changes and the park evolves, this beautiful little building is a constant. Everything about the firehouse, from its horse-drawn engine to its shiny fire bell, represents Main Street’s Americana to the fullest.
Yes, he once drove me and my sister down main street in a little car. We were scared to get out at night. He said go to the lady in the castle it was snow white. She was so nice, gave us cookies and milk in castle till they found my father to take us home. I always go back to thank him
I love that Walt was so committed to Disneyland that he had this and later the New Orleans Square apartment built. Often when leaving the park, especially at night I would look up to the window and give a silent thanks to him for creating the park.
xoxo
-Janey
It’s true the glowing lamp in the firehouse window is a nice gesture in honor of Walt’s spirit. It’s also true that when Walt was alive and visiting the park, the lamp was lit at night. It was fairly common one could catch Walt going in-and-out of shops along Main Street. Most times he went about unrecognized by visitors. If I was in Disneyland in the evening, one of the first things I did was check if the lamp was lit and keeping an eye out for Walt. His presence generated excitement among the employees. They were quick to tell you Walt was seen in the park. Part of the fun was tracking him down. He was always happy to greet his park’s visitors who gathered around him. The poor guy didn’t always have the opportunity to enjoy his own park.