Bells & Whistles
Fire alarm center finally gets some love
By James Raia
November 2026
Doug Crawford supervised three telecommunication technicians who worked alone for many years in a Midtown building. They maintained the city’s fire alarm system headquartered at Winn Park.
Two technicians operated remotely, fixing nearly 550 sidewalk fire alarm boxes. Vandalized machines were brought to Winn Park where technicians worked next to walls of telegraph machinery, backup generators, alarm blueprints, wiring spools, boxes of parts, stained glass windows and a metal spiral staircase.
The alarm system, rare in California, served in a backup capacity on a 6-second response. But in 2005, the city slashed its budget. Alarm boxes and their ornate stands, along with the technicians who preserved telecommunications history, were declared redundant.
The Art Deco building, erected in 1937, was abandoned for about two decades. Now it’s back as a community venue. The city wants a long-term tenant for the facility at 1616 28th St.
Named for Gen. Albert Maver Winn, Sacramento’s second mayor in 1849, the square monolith recently hosted its debut return event, “Coordinates: Dispatch.”
The two-month exhibit featured works from more than two dozen local artists and was curated by Faith McKinnie, managing partner of Sites of Vacancy. The local organization transforms vacant and transitional spaces into temporary experience sites.
Detailed as a “Historic Landmark Reimagined,” the project, which ended in October, was a collaboration of artists, commercial sponsors and Midtown Association. It returned vibrancy to Winn Park.
With Tower Bridge, McKinley Park, City Hall Annex and Executive Airport, Winn Park is among several local Works Progress Administration projects from the 1930s.
Renovations began in 2023 for the two-story, nearly 4,000-square-foot building. An exterior elevator, entrance stairways and accessibility code updates were needed.
“We knew the equipment left was valuable, so a lot of it was donated, some to a fire history museum,” says Jason Wiesemann, city park planning and development services manager. “I’m not sure about all of it, but there was a lot of history.”
The grounds are re-landscaped. A bronze sculpture called “La Familia,” created in 1997 by Eduardo Oropeza, stands near the entrance. Foliage is trimmed, lawns plush. Trees provide shade. Picnic areas, benches, a walkway and a fenced-in children’s playground are open daily, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The building’s long-term fate is uncertain. A pending contract fizzled. No events are planned through the end of 2026.
“We spent a lot of money on the renovation. There was a lot of vandalism,” Wiesemann says. “We issued an RFP (request for proposal). The residents in the neighborhood want the park to be used and be busy, but just not too busy.”
A placard near the building’s entrance solicits business. It carries a QR code and says:
“The Winn Park Fire Alarm Station has connected Sacramento for generations. As part of ongoing efforts to activate public spaces and historic spaces, Midtown Association is helping facilitate leasing opportunities on behalf of the City of Sacramento.”
James Raia can be reached at james@jamesraia.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
