Engine Company 2 Fire Station
Engine Company 2 Fire Station | |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000022[1] |
|---|---|
| Added to NRHP | March 2, 1989 |
The Engine Company 2 Fire Station is a
Building
The firehouse is in the Clay–Arsenal neighborhood north of downtown Hartford. It is on the southwest corner of the intersection, a block north of the five-way intersection of Main, Ann and High streets with Albany Avenue and the railroad tracks beneath Tunnel Park. The
This section of Clay-Arsenal is a transition from downtown to outer residential neighborhoods. Main has a concrete divider here, creating separate roadways on both sides of the intersection. The firehouse's neighboring buildings are commercial structures of similar height on Main, and houses on Belden. Across Main is a newer housing development.
Exterior
The building is a two-story seven-by-five-
On all sides the masonry is faced in brick. It is
Along the ground level of the pavilion at the first story are three large garages with metal overhead doors. A smooth concrete apron runs down to the street. Above the garages, on an
They set off a second story with a smooth stone face set with five round-arched windows. On either side of the central window are stone panels. The south one has a "2" and the north one "1910". The windows are set with double-hung sash.
At the springline of the arches another brick course sets off the stone, with the brick above it laid in a basketweave pattern.[2] The arches themselves are segmental, consisting of four vertically laid headers. Above them another projecting stretcher course ends the basketweave, topped by vertical stretchers, two rows of projecting stretchers, two rows of stretchers and finally a top row of projecting stretchers below a stone cornice. The otherwise flat roof has a hipped section in the front of the main block behind the pavilion.
The other three facades are faced in red brick and fenestrated with nine-over-one double-hung sash trimmed with brownstone lintels. There are two bay windows on the north and south faces, toward the west corners. Around the base of the hipped roof is a cornice of corbeled brickwork.[2]
Interior
On the inside much original trim remains. The apparatus room has narrow
Two rooms behind the stables also once served horse-related functions. One retains the iron hitching posts and wood flooring. The other has been converted into a kitchen, with those features removed.[2]
Most of the original woodwork remains on the second floor, particularly window and door surrounds. Double wooden doors set off the upper ends of the poles. A dropped ceiling has been added to the front dormitory. Over the stables is a largely unfinished room that once served as the hayloft.[2]
History
Engine Company 2 was established in 1864 when the city of Hartford decided to combine its existing volunteer fire companies into a single paid citywide department. It had originally been the Neptune company, based near the present location at 1161 Main Street. That firehouse was used for the remainder of the 19th century.[3]
In 1910, the city decided to build a new firehouse for the company. Architect Russell Barker, who had begun as a
It was meant to accommodate both men and horses, reflecting a distinct era in the fire department's history when it had its own horses but had not yet begun to motorize. It and the Engine Company 4 building on Ann Street, which housed the last two department horses until 1920,[3] are the only two left in Hartford with that design feature.[2]
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Elliot, Janice; Ransom, David (May 22, 1988). "National Register of Historic Places nomination, Engine Company 2 Fire Station". National Park Service. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ^ a b "Past Locations". Hartford Fire Department. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
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