Photo: New York City Fire Museum

1816: NYC’s First Permanent
Firehouse Opens

In the early 1800s, volunteer companies began forming throughout New York City to fight fires. While the firefighters originally relied on storage sheds stocked with buckets and ladders, in 1816, the city’s first known permanent firehouse was built at 71 Fulton Street in Manhattan, serving as a headquarters for Engine Companies 13, 18, 21 and 24. According to Daniel Maye, FDNY Fire Academy Librarian, “Firemen’s Hall,” as it was called, accommodated four fire “engines” that were pulled through the streets by the firemen. But storing so many engines downtown proved to be an inefficient way of serving uptown neighborhoods. By February 1829, only one engine remained, and the building was auctioned off on April 1 of that year. Today, there are 51 New York City Fire Department firehouses in Manhattan. The firehouse is shown at right in an undated photo.

–Cynthia Blair