The north section of the building behind City Hall was originally built as the Columbus Light Artillery Armory and was constructed before 1885. The south part of the building was constructed in 1903 as the City Fire Station. After a new fire department headquarters and station were built, the Fire House served as the Police Department. It is the oldest and only known surviving 19th century example of a city militia armory in the state of Mississippi and one of very few in the entire southern U.S. and has been designated a Mississippi Historic Landmark. Two side-by-side buildings are currently the home of five condos, three of which are on the first floor making them the only apartments in downtown Columbus that can be found on the ground level. The openings for the stable doors are still visible making it easy to picture the horse-drawn fire engines rushing out towards a fire. One of the old horse-drawn fire engines is displayed in front of Columbus Fire & Rescue, Station 1, on the corner of Seventh Street and College Street.
