The Covina Valley Historical Society, Firehouse Jail Museum
The City of Covina is well known for its long citrus history. Nestled in the Covina Valley is a building owned by the Covina Historical Society. An old Firehouse, with a lot of history. The Firehouse was built in 1911, in the middle of Covina’s historical district in downtown Covina. The old and intriguing historical building which stands at 125 East College Street, is a small community museum now. It once served the community of Covina Valley as a fire station and later a municipal jail until 1974. The building was dedicated in 1979 by the Covina Valley Historical Society and has since been available to the public free of admission charges.
Inside the Firehouse Jail Museum, you will find a fine collection of local and historical artifacts, which present a look into the early developing rural life in San Gabriel Valley, California. It is a solid building which serves as a little reminder of the jail that once existed and is now a sort of repository for thousands of pieces of history. The articles stored inside are a mere glimpse into the culture and life of the area in the past. The building houses a magnificent collection of historical documents, photographs, vintage pictures, scrapbooks, antique invoices and legal documents, citrus records and more. It’s a fascinating and unique place to visit. Inside it also contains a generous display of household items which were common to the early 20th century and even post office materials.
The Firehouse Jail Museum’s mission is primarily focused on the preservation of early 20th-century history, and is an educational resource for all who visit it. One of the building’s largest artifacts is, a single jail cell that remains intact inside the old firehouse building; it serves as an iron cold reminder of the building’s additional history. Nearby schools take frequent field trips here; a fun educational resource on some important history lessons of Covina Valley for kids.
Not many of Covina’s residents are aware of the city’s extensive citrus history. Covina was founded in 1886 by a man named Joseph Philipps, and at that time, it was approximately 2,000 acres of completely empty land. With a lot of effort, and many investors. Water was brought in and people began to invest more into the city, in the hopes that it would become fertile and support a big citrus operation. Covina and the San Gabriel Valley eventually became one of the largest orange and citrus exporters on the map.
This industry also brought the railroad into the community, another important piece of history and the life of Covina residents. This important history is what the Covina Valley Historical Society is working to preserve.
The Los Angeles suburb of Covina and the Firehouse Jail Museum is a family friendly attraction that is both fun and rich in history. Adults and children alike enjoy spending a little small time behind bars as a novelty. Dedicated to the community by the Covina Valley Historical Society which is a non-profit organization, the museum operates primarily on member funding and on volunteers. It is open free to the community on Sundays from 1-3, which means anyone can visit and appreciate the stories contained inside the walls of this old building.
