City of Grand Rapids Engine Houses

excerpts from 1888 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map

excerpts from 1895 Sanborn coming

excerpts from 1911 Sanborn coming

The theme is MY memory of those fire barns that fascinated me as a child in the 1950's. To understand the inventory I have included information on their creation and demise.

Synopsis

It is volunteer department. There is an engine house on Prospect Hill (which started up on the east edge of Monroe Avenue).

1849 - "Alert Fire Company was organized and was quartered at various rented buildings throughout (the village and subsequent) city until the first engine house constructed by the city in 1855". ^{150 years}

1850 - Protection Fire Company was formed.

1855 Engine house built at 102 (later 63) Monroe at Official (Commerce Ave NW) and Alert Fire company is assigned here.
 

           Engine House #2 at 82 (later 308) Kent (later Bond Ave NE) near Bronson (later Crescent St NE).

1857  Protection Fire Company  was assigned its first permanent home at 82 Kent.

1859 Engine House #3 is built at 54 (later 518) Lincoln  (later Scribner Ave NW) between First and Second Streets.

1868 City Directory:

1875 Engine House #2 is rebuilt and renumbered to #4. A new #2 is built on Barclay Avenue NE.

          Engine House #5 must have begun around this time, at Leonard and Taylor, most likely the northwest corner.

          Engine House #6 ( later addressed as 1236) is opened on Scribner Ave NW north of Leonard.
         

1877 Construction of Engine House #7 (renumbered 6) at Grandville and Summit (renamed Ellsworth).

1879 Engine House #6 is closed and would be sold to a Baptist Church.  (Scribner Ave Baptist Church in 1953)
          Engine House #6 is opened at Grandville and Summit (Ellsworth).

1880 Engine House #5 is moved from Leonard and Taylor to Leonard and Monroe.

1884 Engine House #8 is put into commission 180 Jefferson (later 40 Lexington Ave NW)

1887 Engine House #3 is moved to 61 (523) Front Ave NW.

1891 Engine House #9 at 527 Leonard St NW is opened.
          Engine House #7 at 460 (816) Madison AVe SE is opened.

1897 Engine House #10 at  700 (later 100) Hall St SW at Ionia Ave SW is opened .

1900 Becomes all-paid instead of all volunteer.

1902 Engine House # 11 at 4 (later 1002) Chester St SE is opened.

1911 Engine House #1 is moved to 38 LaGrave. Administration and Fire Alarm Offices are relocated here from #4.

1912 City begins new Addressing System Fr. Morrow's  See New - South Even East/North Odd West.

           Engine House #4 at 554 Hall St SW is opened.

1921 The last horses are retired the last ones from Engine House #7 are re-assigned to garbage detail.

This diagram shows how each fire barn was divided -  the garage entrance on one street with the stable entrance on the cross street. Richard Moore, firefighter, who worked so hard on the 150 Years book, said this was the setting for every fire barn and is still apparent on the Chester Street Station. There is a row of lockers on the wall dividing the dormitory from the hay loft. One of these lockers is really a secret door connecting the dormitory to the hay loft.

         The Engine houses are remodeled by removing the hose-drying watch towers and painting them red.

1926 Engine House #10 is re-located to 1734 South Division the first station to be built for motorized equipment.

1938 Engine House #4 on Crescent St NE is closed due to its deteriorating condition.

1949 Title of #4 is given to a newly opened Engine House at 1945 Kalamazoo Ave SE.

1951 Engine House #14 at 2251 Plainfield Ave NE is built and is a mirror image of the new #4.

1960 - The City annexes much land almost doubling in size resulting in the re-assignment of many stations.

          Engine House #13, 1159 East Beltline NE. Annexed Grand Rapids Township #1 was also the home of the township's
           fire chief so had individual bedrooms.

          Engine House #15 at 1252 Three Mile Rd. Annexed Grand Rapids Township #2.

1961 Engine House #3 is closed due to construction of US-131 and I-196 interchange and title #3 is reassigned to Engine
          House #8 on Lexington Ave NW.

        Title  #8 is assigned to the former Walker Township Hall/Fire station on Covell Rd which has been annexed.
          while former Engine House #8 is re-assigned as #3.

1966 Engine House #3 on Lexington Ave NW is closed and re-located to 500 Bridge St NW the first superstation.

          Engine House #9 on Leonard St NW is closed, its engine re-located to 500 Bridge St NW.

          Engine House #2 on Barclay is closed, engine and crew re-assigned to Kalamazoo Ave SE.

1970 Title #2 is re-assigned to  annexed Paris Township station #1 at 4328 Kalamazoo Ave SE.

1976 Engine House # 6 on Grandville Ave SW is closed.

1979 The second superstation is opened at Franklin St SW at Ionia Ave SW and is not numbered but named
         Franklin Street Fire Station.

         Engine House #7 on Madison Ave SE is closed.

         Engine House #12 on Hall St SW is closed.

1980  Engine House #15 at 1252 Three Mile Rd NE is closed.

1981 Superstation Burton Street Fire Station at 2941 Burton St SE is opened.

          Engine House #13 at 1159 East Beltline Ave NE is closed.

1982 - # 7 at 816 Madison Ave SE is sold
            #12 at 554 Hall St SW is sold
            #16 at 1159 East Beltline Ave NE is sold
            #15 at 152 Three Mile Rd NE is sold

1987 - Engine House # 2 at 4328 Kalamazoo  Ave is relocated to 2541 Kalamazoo Ave SE and renamed Kalamazoo Avenue
            Fire Station. 

            Engine House #4  at 1945 Kalamazoo Avenue is closed.

Engine House #1 - LaGrave Avenue  Active 

New site purchased 1868

  ^{GRPL      1888 Sanborn}

Second site -38 LaGrave Ave built 1911

      ^{Centennial      Centennial}

Engine House #2 - 332 Barclay Avenue NE   gone for a parking lot for Butterworth Hospital

1875 - 220 (changed to 332 in 1912)

   ^{Centennial    Centennial   1888 Sanborn}

Engine House #3 - 523 Front Avenue NW   gone  for US131
1st site 518 Scribner sold to West Side Ladies Literary Society

^{150 years}

New site built 1887 no known photo
Replaced in 1922 per Centennial

 ^{Centennial  1888 Sanborn}

3rd Site - 500 Bridge Street NW - active                                                         
Built 1966

Engine House #4 Crescent Street at Bond Avenue   gone for Urban Renewal

1852 - began as #2   ^{1888 Sanborn}

1859 - Land purchased  - Vacated 1938

1875 - The rear of Engine House #2 is used to create #4 and the address is changed
from 82 Kent to 121 Bronson and is used for administration. A new #2 is built on Barclay.
Erected 1879

^Centennial 

Relocated in 1949 at Kalamazoo and Burton 1951 Kalamazoo Ave SE - private use
1945 Kalamazoo Ave SE also 1951-59 Kalamazoo Ave SE

CA 1987   CA 1987

Revised use 2000

CA

Engine House #5 Leonard #5 - Leonard and Monroe - Active 

1181 Monroe Ave NW - Built 1880

 ^{Centennial  Centennial    1888 Sanborn}

Secretly dismantled and rebuilt brick-by-brick  Engine House #5 Museum - Allendale, Michigan
without the City Commission ever noticing.

Replaced by a modern one-story about 1980.

Engine House #6  - Grandville and Ellsworth - private use
312 Grandville Ave SW - Built 1879

 ^{2010  1888 Sanborn}

Engine House #7 Madison - Madison at Franklin - private use
816 Madison Ave SE - Erected 1891

^{Centennail CA 1936} not on 1888 Sanborn

Engine House #8 - Lexington at Veto - private use
40 Lexington Ave NW - Erected 1884

 ^{CA 1941    Sanborn 1888}

Engine House #9  - Leonard at Quarry - private use
527 Leonard St NW  - Erected 1890

 ^{RE card file   Sanborn 1888 shows site}

Engine House #10  - Hall at Ionia - private use

RE Card File not on 1888 Sanborn

relocated 1734 Division Ave S at Brown - Active

not on 1888 Sanborn

Engine House #11 - Chester - Active
1002 Chester St SE - Erected 1902

1953 not on 1888 Sanborn

Engine House #12 - 554 Hall St SW -Hall at Kalamazoo - Hispanic Center
Site purchased 1910 - Erected 1912
No City Assessor records found.

GRP 185-1-55  No entry in 1888 Sanborn

Engine House #13  -  miscellaneous

Grand Rapids Township #1 at 1159 East Beltline (just south of Leonard Street on the west side of East Beltline)
was annexed in 1960 and closed in 1981.

Engine House #14  - Plainfield Ave and Comstock St - Active
1951 Engine House #14 at 2251 Plainfield Ave NE is built and is a mirror image of the new #4 at 1949 Kazoo. .

Engine House #15 -  miscellaneous

Grand Rapids Township #2 at 1252 Three Mile was annexed in 1960 and closed in 1981.

  Fire Centennial 1850-1950

   Fire Department  today        

Bibliography

City Assessor's Records

City Engineer's Records

City of Grand Rapids Fire Department

Firemen's Fund Association, Grand Rapids Fire Department Centennial, July 1, 1950 Fire Centennial

Grand Rapids Fire Department, 150 Years of Service1850-2000  GRPL 352.3 G762

Grand Rapids Fire Fighters IAFF Local 366: Main Page

Grand Rapids Public Library Michigan Room collection

International Association of Firefighters, Local 333

Personal memories and exploration

Real Estate Card File

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps 1888, 1895, 1911, 1953

Send mail to Babs27@Comcast.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2006 My Grand Rapids
Last modified: 08/05/11