The Little Firehall on Congress

I thought I’d never get to see the inside of this little Firehall. It’s only open on Saturdays and for a very short period of time (11-5). Likely because it is run by volunteers. The engines are also frequently out on loan to special events.

But, on one sunny Monday afternoon, I happened upon the Firehall when it was open. I think there was a private tour and I totally took the opportunity to sneak in, poke around, and take a few photos.

The Firehall on Congress was built in 1891 to serve the Fort Point warehouse district. During this time, the fire trucks were horse-drawn and the hall had stables incorporated into the back of the building. This ended in 1917 when all horse-drawn trucks were replaced by a motorized vehicle.

Some cool things to see in the Firehall: Boston #1 (a.k.a. the Thayer), the city’s first rolling Firetruck (1792); Fountain Engine #3, one of the city’s first suction engines (1835), and “The Plum” (1926).

Half of these photos are taken with a Powershot SX280HS and the other half with my cell phone. My blogging with a Powershot came to an abrupt end when the camera stopped working.