Halloween is almost here and the scary stories continue! Oceanside’s first Fire and Police Station were housed in one building located on Pier View Way and Nevada Street, designed by famed architect Irving Gill and built in 1929. People who had the pleasure of spending the night in the holding cells would report unexplained activity, such as lights turning on and off, noises and quick temperature shifts.
Two locations had the most paranormal activity, the “Drunk Tank” in Cell 1 and the Women’s Holding Cell.
These areas were later changed to bunking for Firemen, but they refused to sleep in them.
In 2017, the Osider Magazine conducted tests for paranormal activity and their results were huge! They filmed orbs, recorded voices and generally got the feeling that the Firemen were not alone.
Soon the former Fire and Police Station will be given a new life when the Oceanside Museum of Art begins their restoration in the coming years and includes the historical building within the museum. Will the ghosts of Fire Station 1 remain? Perhaps they’ll become more artistically inclined!
Oceanside Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving Oceanside for 40 years. Come visit us in the new Robert A. and Bessie J. Weese Oceanside History Center located at 510 Civic Center Drive in downtown Oceanside. Open Monday – Wednesday and Friday, 10 am – 2 pm. FREE Admission, but donations are always welcomed!
