Historic firehouse turned youth program may have been the target of hate
The iconic mural on the Historic Firehouse No. 11, known for housing and being operated by African American firefighters, was vandalized last month and the building owner thinks it may have been the target of hate.
The mural, which honors the legacy of men who worked in the building, was splattered with a red-orange epoxy substance, said Pat Jordan, the owner of the building.
The case will be investigated by the central patrol division property crimes sections, said Kansas City Police Department Captain, Jake Becchina.
The police are investigating the case as property damage, said Becchina. It hasn’t been determined yet whether the vandalism was a hate crime or not.
It didn’t cross Jordan’s mind that the vandalism may have been a hate crime until it came time to check the box on the police report, she said.
“I came to this section that said, ‘Was this a hate crime?’ and I called out and I said, oh my God. It was because they are all African American figures that are in the mural,” she recounted.
The mural is called Echoes of Bravery, painted by artist Daniel Montoute. The building at 2033 Vine St., which was an active firehouse from 1931 until 1977, was listed on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places on April 4, 2009.
Jordan has a passion for preservation, she said, especially in the African American community. She thinks the Black community has a mutual responsibility to make sure that the symbols of Black culture and history remain intact, she says.
“Continuing to share our history during these times, in particular, takes a certain amount of courage,” Jordan said, “It’s one of the reasons, though, why we have continued to work on our mission of utilizing the media technology to tell our stories.”
Jordan has transformed the space from an industrial life-saving operation to a youth media program focused on arts, film, and sound engineering called iSTEAMkc.
“We are exposing students, primarily those who are disadvantaged, to careers in media technology,” she said.
The program runs during the fall and spring semesters, inviting a small number of students to develop knowledge, skills, and experience with media production. When the program isn’t running, she plans to use the media studio to help produce independent minority projects.
“We make use of every square inch of space in this little building,” said Jordan. The building also houses an artist’s studio for Auburn Ellis, founder of Studio 5400, at 55th Street and Troost Avenue; and the creator of Art and Yoga Flow.
This story was originally published June 9, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
