Fire Engine Company Number 55

History and architecture

Fire Engine Company 55 is a richly ornamented, mid-block firehouse, erected in 1898¬-99. It was the prominent New York architect R. H. Robertson's only commission for the New York City Fire Department and one of the first firehouses completed following the consolidation of Greater New York. Built to replace an earlier facility located at 173 Elm Street (now Lafayette Street), the new structure was among several civic improvements planned and executed in the "Little Italy" neighborhood at the turn of the century.

The brick and limestone facade is characteristic of Robertson's late work, reflecting both the Romanesque Revival style popular during the 1880s and the Beaux-Arts style which dominated American architecture from the 1890s on. With a monumental arch that serves as the apparatus bay, a company banner carved in stone, as well as a pair of oval windows draped with garlands, Fire Engine Company 55 stands out as a distinguished example of late nineteenth-century civic architecture, having continuously served its community for nearly one hundred years.

The Fire Department of the City of New York

From its first days as a Dutch colony to the end of the Civil War, New York City relied on teams of unpaid volunteers to extinguish fires. While under Dutch rule all men were expected to participate, under the British a force of thirty volunteers was organized by the General Assembly of the Colony in 1737 to operate two Newsham hand pumpers that had been recently imported from London. After the American Revolution, a few tentative steps were taken to give firefighting a more professional character. Authorized by the New York State Legislature in 1798, the Volunteer Fire Department of the City of New York was placed under the supervision of a paid engineer and six subordinates.

Over the next half century, New York grew and so did the number of volunteer fire-fighters, which increased from 600 men in 1800 to more than 4,000 by 1860. Those who served benefited from their association with the department; not only were firemen admired for their heroism, but participation was often used as a stepping-stone in political careers, including that of seven New York City mayors elected after 1835.2 Despite rapid growth, the department was frequently criticized for poor performance.

Public disapproval was especially strong during the Civil War, a period when many volunteers resigned to serve in the Union Army, leaving the department without sufficient personnel. Under such circumstances, support grew for creating a professional force -- like that of the police, established in 1845. Advocates maintained, based on recent experience in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, and other American cities, that a paid department would prove more reliable, and be better equipped to protect city residents.

In May 1865, the New York State Legislature established the Metropolitan Fire District, comprising the cities of New York (south of 86th Street) and Brooklyn. The act abolished the volunteer system and created the Metropolitan Fire Department under the jurisdiction of the state government. The law's impact was immediate. With numerous firehouse closings and the forced retirement of thousands of volunteers, only 500 salaried firefighters remained on duty by the end of the year.

Under General Alexander T. Shaler, who served as President of the Board of Fire Commissioners between 1867 and 1870, further changes were initiated. A former volunteer and decorated Civil War general, he reorganized the department "according to a military model in which specialization, discipline, and merit were encouraged by a system of daily advisory orders, trials for disobedience, and ranks."' Despite the Metropolitan Fire Department's generally excellent record, with a steady decline in annual property losses, the City sought and regained control of the department and other municipal services under the Charter of 1870 (commonly known as the "Tweed Charter").

During the following decade there was increasing pressure to expand and improve fire protection. Not only did the city nearly double in size with the annexation of the western portion of the Bronx in 1874, but the increased height of many recently constructed buildings created new challenges for firefighters. In response, public funds were allocated to upgrade the department's equipment and training -- a new fire alarm telegraph was purchased, as well as gas floodlights, taller ladders, and steam engines with increased pumping pressure.