The historic Manistee Fire Station was built in 1888 in a Romanesque Revival style. In early October, 1888, the Manistee City Council hired Frederick Hollister of Saginaw, the architect of Manistee's principal school, to design a fire hall to replace the original station, which as constructed in 1872-1873 on Filer Street.

Later that month the "Manistee Democrat" predicted that the city's new fire hall would be "a model of convenience and usefulness." Constructed of brick, cut stone and French plate glass, and trimmed with galvanized iron, this Romanesque Revival-style building was constructed by the local firm of Brownrigg and Reynolds at a cost of $7,516. The dome is covered with copper. This is the oldest continuously operated first station in Michigan.