Engine Company 27 (Washington, D.C.)

Engine Company 27 also known as the Deanwood Firehouse is a historic firehouse located at 4201 Minnesota Ave., NE, Washington, D.C.

Engine Company 27
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	4201 Minnesota, NW, Washington, District of Columbia
Coordinates	38°54′04″N 76°56′36″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1908
MPS	Firehouses in Washington DC MPS
NRHP reference No.	11000284[1]
Added to NRHP	May 18, 2011

History

It was designed by Leon Dessez and completed in 1908. It originally housed Chemical Company 1, which served areas not yet connected to fire hydrants. On June 15, 1914 this company was replaced by Engine Company 27 which went in service with a 1906 American LaFrance Metropolitan 500 GPM steam fire engine and a 1903 American LaFrance 70 gallon double tank combination chemical/hose wagon.[2]

At 6:00 PM on May 4, 1945, Engine Company 27 became the second firehouse in the District to be staffed entirely by African Americans, the first having been Engine Company 4.[3] Joseph A. Briscoe was promoted from lieutenant to captain and served as the first station commander, Rafael Smith was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant, and Clarence J Short was promoted from private to sergeant.[4]

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in May, 2011 as part of the Firehouses in Washington DC multiple property submission.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. DCFire.com Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine, accessed April 30, 2012.
3. "Second Negro-Staffed Firehouse to Be Installed". Evening Star (Washington, DC). May 3, 1945. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
4. "Firemen Promoted At All-Negro Station". Evening Star (Washington, DC). May 9, 1945. Retrieved October 6, 2018.