MEDIA ALERT: Arlington’s Fire Station 8 Grand Opening

Published on April 24, 2025

Arlington County invites members of the media to the Fire Station 8 Grand Opening on April 26, 2025, celebrating its completion following more than two years of construction and its inspiring heritage on Langston Boulevard.

Fire Station 8, originally known as the Halls Hill Volunteer Fire Department, was established in 1918 and has left a legacy in Arlington as an all-Black, originally volunteer unit for many decades during segregation. Learn more about the replacement construction project and the work of the Station 8 History and Legacy Committee.

What: Fire Station 8 Grand Opening

When: Saturday, April 26, 2025, 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

• 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: Ceremony. The ceremony will highlight the features of the new building, honor the challenges faced by Fire Station 8 volunteers and then paid staff during the Jim Crow era, and celebrate how the perseverance of the Halls Hill neighborhood has kept the station a fixture of the community.
• 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Open House. During the Open House, tour the newly built station and explore an exhibit highlighting the history and legacy of the fire company and the Halls Hill community. Enjoy special activities for families including a bounce house, fire truck tours, meeting firefighters and photo opportunities.

Where: Fire Station 8 (4845 Langston Blvd., Arlington, VA 22207). The event will take place primarily in the first-floor apparatus bay of Fire Station 8.

Members of the media should park across the street at the Langston-Brown community center (2121 N. Culpeper St.) where some spaces will be reserved.

Note: For the general public, there is no on-site parking; carpool, rideshare or public transportation (ART Bus 55) is recommended. There will be a designated drop-off zone at Langston-Brown community center.

Who:

• Takis Karantonis, Chair, Arlington County Board
• Patrick Hope, First District Delegate, Virginia General Assembly
• David Povlitz, Chief, Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD)
• Greg Emanuel, Director, Arlington County, Department of Environmental Services (DES)
• Libby Garvey, former member, Arlington County Board
• Noah Simon, Chair, Fire Station 8 Task Force
• Wilma Jones, President, John M. Langston Civic Association
• Kitty Clark Stevenson, daughter of former Fire Caption Alfred W. Clark and fourth-generation Halls Hill resident 

Photo Gallery