When was the last time you saw a fire station with a turret—or two? This one is a first for me. It was the Engine Company 7 fire station at the corner of Maple and 24th Street, South Central Los Angeles, circa 1900. I wonder if those turrets were used for fire spotting. Or maybe just a nice place to have a cigarette on a slow day.

The building, which is near the University of Southern California campus, is still there, albeit no longer a fire station. It appears to be a now sewing school. This image is from December 2020.