Massachusetts Fire Houses

[Box 2565]

A really nice scene in this photo.  The hand tub and hose reel are in front of the station of "Tiger #1" in Haverhill.
Image from eBay.

[hoss]

The buildings on the "Broverman Block" in Great Barrington have been knocked down to make way fro the new firehouse and the site work is already trucking along. I shot this back on 8/23/07

[hoss]

Here's Great Barrington's current station on Castle St.

[hoss]

An earlier post had a post card of this great firehouse in Lee, MA - sometime I'll re-shoot it in better conditions.

[Box 2565]

The house at Rockport.

[Box 2565]

This beautiful building was constructed in 1880 for the town of Mansfield, Massachusetts.  Notice that there are a pair of speaking trumpets above the year of construction and a fire alarm box is mounted between the apparatus doorways.

[shermanator]

Box 2565,

I have some questions about three fire stations: Two from Boston, MA and one from Lowell, MA.
1.
Does the Boston Engine 12 firehouse at 4th and K streets still exist?
I saw three doors, what trucks were in there then, and now?
2.
Does the Boston Engine 49 firehouse the in Readville Area still exist?
What trucks were in there then, and now?
3.
The main firestation from Lowell, MA is gorgous, is it still around?
What trucks were in there then, and now?

Thanks,
Shermanator

[Box 2565]

Box 2565,

I have some questions about three fire stations: Two from Boston, MA and one from Lowell, MA.
1.
Does the Boston Engine 12 firehouse at 4th and K streets still exist?
I saw three doors, what trucks were in there then, and now?
2.
Does the Boston Engine 49 firehouse the in Readville Area still exist?
What trucks were in there then, and now?
3.
The main firestation from Lowell, MA is gorgous, is it still around?
What trucks were in there then, and now?

Thanks,
Shermanator

And if only I knew the answers!  Those photos are items that I have grabbed from eBay or other sources.  Maybe one of the other folks on this site can provide the answers to your questions....

Steve

[shermanator]

Thanks for replying Steve.

Matt

[FAO25]

Chelsea - Station #1

Became Engine 5 at some point, then closed in the 70s.

Only station in the Great Chelsea of 1908 fireground that survived.

Question, I thought Engine 5 was on Everett Ave. and when they closed this house Engine 1 and 5 ran together from Everett Ave. untill 5 was deactivated.

[FAO25]

Box 2565,

I have some questions about three fire stations: Two from Boston, MA and one from Lowell, MA.
1.
Does the Boston Engine 12 firehouse at 4th and K streets still exist?
I saw three doors, what trucks were in there then, and now?
2.
Does the Boston Engine 49 firehouse the in Readville Area still exist?
What trucks were in there then, and now?
3.
The main firestation from Lowell, MA is gorgous, is it still around?
What trucks were in there then, and now?

Thanks,
Shermanator

And if only I knew the answers!  Those photos are items that I have grabbed from eBay or other sources.  Maybe one of the other folks on this site can provide the answers to your questions....

Steve

1. This is not Engine 12. There is, last I knew, still an old house that Engine 12 used at the beginning of Blue Hill Ave. and Dudley St.
This house still exists, it is the quarters of Engine 2 and Ladder  19. If memory serves me correctly Ladder 19 recieved the rebuilt ALF 125' tiller truck known without affection as the "White Elephant". After it was damaged in the tragic Maverick Square Fire where several firefighters were killed, it was rebuilt as a 100 footer. It later jack-knifed which resulted in another FF fatality.

2. Last time I was there, 49's was still active. For more info click the link and check the BFD Historical Society site. I think you'll say wow!

http://www.bostonfirehistory.org/bfdfirehouses.html

3. Jason Strunk has had Arcadia Publishing publish some of his work on the history of Lowell's Fire Dept. An excellent example of these works, with a good mix of period photos from a busy fire city. If I'm correct, I believe it was torn down some time during urban renewal and was replaced by the station at the Civic Center. 

[shermanator]

Thank you for the information.  If I could afford too, I have always wanted to find all of the old Boston firehouses that still exist, and restore then to how they were built.

It sucks that the Lowell Station was torn down, It is my favorite station.

[FAO25]

Ok. there's a story here. Developer wants to build huge Apartment/Condo Complex with some commercial space in old stone quarry. Site overlaps 2 communities. Gateway to complex is located in one community that has needed a fire station in this area for 50 years. Response to this area had been supplemented on first alarms by the other community and another adjacent community by automatic aid for about the same time. In last 25 years Malden has closed the closest station to here and deactivated that company. Closed another house further away but relocated that company to the next closest house in the Maplewood section and made it a 2 engine house by closing the truck company there. Saugus, the community adjacent, has had to close it's closest house at Essex street intermittantly during the same period. Yet both companies from Malden and Saugus were still first due before Revere companies including a multi-fatal fire not too many years ago. Malden needed a new house in this end of it's city, Revere was going through a complete reorganization and construction of new and relocation of stations. Both communities hit the developer up for linkage funds. He built a mirror image building and filled it with stuff. To get from one side to the other you have to get out and go around. And if you have a heart attack in the Malden or Revere section and that company is out, you wait for your home town comapny to respond. Well, hard times and all, the Malden engine has now been deactivated due to layoffs and budget cuts. The Revere company is closed on a rotating basis for same reasons. I have heard the developer has questioned why he was told it was essential he build this facility, because of the service demand he created, but now it's okay to close these units.  

[FAO25]

Saugus Mass., Essex Street Station, Town Box # 18,  home to Engine 1 and Engine 4 (Spare). The Essex Street Express.
 Or as I prefer to call them "The "E" Street Band".

[hoss]

Great Barrington's "new" station has been open since the end of 2010.

Click the pic for the rest of the gallery.