Austin Fire Drill Tower
a.k.a. Buford Tower and Kitchens Memorial Chimes
201 W. Cesar Chavez St., Austin, TXThe Austin Fire Drill Tower is a significant example of the City Beautiful movement in Austin, and is a unique example of the Italianate Style in Texas.
The Austin Fire Drill Tower (now known as Buford Tower) was constructed on the banks of the Colorado River in 1930 as a practice tower for the Austin Fire Department, and served its intended function for more than four decades. The tower was central in the training of fire fighters, and was prominently sited in the heart of downtown to allow public display of the trainees’ skills and techniques. The Italianate Style building was designed by two of Austin’s most prominent architects, Hugo F. Kuehne and J. Roy White. The tower was also a significant step in Austin’s beautification plan, and is now an iconic landmark along a popular hike and bike trail. It is nominated to the National Register of Historic Places at the local level of significance under Criterion C in the area of Architecture. The period of significance is 1930, the year of its construction.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.