By the time retired Fort Worth firefighter Wayne C. Brown stepped through the glass doors of The Nobleman Hotel in late May, the old firehouse at 503 Bryan Avenue looked almost nothing like the place he first reported to in June 1950. The ladder truck that once filled the bay—now the hotel’s reception area—was long gone, and the surrounding additions gave the space more of a resort feel than a firehouse. High-end luxury design elements, including a front desk concierge and a swanky lounge area had replaced the scent of diesel and sweat. But even at 97, Brown still recognized it—not just as a building, but as a place he once called home.
Brown, joined by several family members, walked through the newly transformed building—taking in the sleek design while trying to anchor memories in the spaces where modern touches had taken over.
“I asked somebody. I didn’t remember whether it was a brass pole or a steel pole,” Brown said, pausing near a corner of the modern lobby. “The steel poles were fast. The brass poles — you kind of gauge your speed a little bit better.”…