This undated view shows the fire hall and police station on Commonwealth Avenue in the Gary-New Duluth neighborhood. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable about cars can date the photo based on the police squad parked in front:
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And, when this photo was taken the building didn’t just house a fire station and police station – it had a branch of the library in the basement:
The fire hall still stands, and still serves as a fire hall. The police station portion of the building now houses the Gary-New Duluth Community Center.
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it’s a 1953 Ford Mainline!
Its a 53 Ford Mainline, Ford’s lowest price series of cars. they were often used as police cars and other fleet applications. The care in the garage appears to be a 41 Ford Super Deluxe. It has a chrome strip along the fender and the parking light is mounted on top of the fender.
That’s where I learned to play harmonica.
Can you zoom to the signs on the doors. There may be something written there.
Also, there is a vehicle inside the building.
The signs above the doors at either end of the building say Fire Department and Police Station. I saw the other car in the building, but very little of it is visible.
A Ford Montclair is probably a good guess judging by the photo on this website:
http://www.wichita.gov/CityOffices/Police/History/Police+Vehicles.htm
Checking the web it looked like Ford was known in the 1950′s as being the #1 provider of police vehicles….so the vehicle in the pic looks like the 1953 Ford Crestline Victoria
I can remember this fire hall and amazed that it is still there…lived there for about 4 yrs in Gary-New duluth…….haven’t been back there for quite a few years… will have to make trip back there when I go up north again
remember that the library was in the basement too
1953 Ford
That’s a 54 Ford.
No it’s a 53. Look at the taillights and what you can make out of the front grill. Also, the 54 had an elevated, sun-gathering speedometer that rose higher than the 53. I can’t see that feature in the picture, therefore, I think it was a 53.
The car appears to be 1953-54 vintage.