Guide to the Seattle Fire Department Station House Records
1903-1975

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Overview of the Collection

Creator: Seattle (Wash.). Fire Dept.
Title: Station House Records
Dates: 1903-1975 ( inclusive )
Quantity: 6.0 cubic ft. (6 boxes)
Collection Number: 2801-05
Summary: Records relating to the physical structures and maintenance of Seattle Fire Department station houses.
Repository: Seattle Municipal Archives

PO Box 94728
600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3
Seattle, WA 98124-4728
Phone: 206/233-7807
Email: archives@seattle.gov
http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives

Languages: Collection materials are in English. 
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical Note

A Fire Department was established by City Charter in 1883. It provided for equipment purchases, but not for hiring of firefighters. Following the Great Fire of 1889, a professional fire department was created with five district fire stations and purchase of a fire boat. The first Fire Chief of the professional department was Gardner Kellogg, who served 1890-1892 and 1895-1901. A Board of Fire Commissioners was established by the 1890 City Charter to prescribe rules and regulations for the Department. The Board's responsibilities included enforcing rules violations and appointing the Fire Chief and all subordinate officers. The Board was abolished with passage of a new City Charter in 1896.

Content Description

This record series contains information about the physical structures and maintenance of the Seattle Fire Department station houses. Included are correspondence, memoranda, maintenance requests, architectural drawings, and photographs. Although the series deals primarily with the maintenance of the station houses, the records also contain some correspondence related to personnel or community relations issues. Planning for new station houses is included for some of the stations. Correspondence ranges from issues such as fire horse manure piles to broken windows and includes a large body of correspondence related to leaking roofs, living quarters furnishings, and furnaces. Thefts and personnel issues constitute a smaller portion of correspondence. The files are organized by station house number as designated by the Fire Department.

Other Descriptive Information

Station House Locations

Although not an authoritative list, the following is a list of fire stations included in the records series and their locations by street address.

1: 7th and Columbia

2: 4th and Battery

4: 26th Ave SW and SW Florida

5: 925 Alaskan Way

6: 23rd Avenue and Yesler Way

7: 15th Ave E. and E. Harrison St.

8: Warren Ave. and Lee St.

9: Linden Ave. and N. 39th St.

9-1: 8729 15th Ave NE

10: 301 2nd Ave S.

11: 4423 Densmore Avenue

12: 16th SW and SW Holden

13: 3601 Beacon Avenue

16: 6846 Oswego Place

17: 1020 East 50th Street

26: 8201 10th Avenue South

27: 6210 13th Avenue South

28: 5968 Rainier Avenue

29: 2127 Ferry Avenue

30: 2931 Winthrope

32: 4321 West Alaska Street

33: 10235 62nd South

34: 633 32nd Avenue N.

36: 2219 W. Spokane St.

37: 7300 35th Ave SW

38: 5501 33rd Ave NE

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access :  

Records are open to the public.

Preferred Citation :  

[Item and date], Seattle Fire Department Station House Records, Record Series 2801-05. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Administrative Information

Arrangement :

The collection is arranged in numerical order by station number.


Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Seattle Fire Department Station House Records, 1903-1975
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Box/Folder
1/1 Building Department Correspondence 1908-1924
1/2 Building Department Correspondence 1925-1931
1/3 Building Department Correspondence 1960-1965
1/4 Fire Alarm Headquarters 1908-1965
1/5 Station No. 1 1909-1937
1/6 Station No. 2 1904-1930
1/7 Station No. 2 1931-1972
1/8 Station No. 2 - Inspection and Maintenance 1967-1975
1/9 Station No. 4 - Planning (includes photographs) 1969-1971
1/10 Station No. 4 (includes vicinity plan) 1971-1975
1/11 Station No. 5 1911-1934
1/12 Station No. 5 1936-1972
1/13 Station No. 5 1959-1972
1/14 Station No. 5 1969-1975
1/15 Station No. 5 1970-1973
1/16 Station No. 5-1 1959-1960
2/1 Station No. 6 - Inspection and Repair (includes architectural drawings) 1968-1975
2/2 Station No. 7 1908-1968
2/3 Station No. 8 1963-1970
2/4 Station No. 8 1908-1970
2/5 Station No. 8 - Inspection and Repair 1969-1975
2/6 Station No. 9 (includes photographs) 1910-1963
2/7 Station No. 9 - Inspection and Repair 1969-1975
2/8 Station No. 9-1 - Crown Hill 1955-1973
2/9 Station No. 10 1966-1975
2/10 Station No. 10 1963-1968
2/11 Station No. 10 1961-1973
2/12 Station No. 10 1971
2/13 Station No. 10 (includes 1928 specifications) 1903-1950
2/14 Station No. 10 1938-1958
2/15 Station No. 10 - Heating 1932-1969
2/16 Station No. 11 1912-1971
2/17 Station No. 11 (includes appraisal) 1912-1971
2/18 Station No. 11 (includes photographs) 1970-1975
2/19 Station No. 11 (includes architectural drawings) 1969-1971
3/1 Station No. 12 (includes photograph) 1912-1971
3/2 Station No. 12 - Inspection and Repair 1969-1971
3/3 Station No. 13 1910-1970
3/4 Station No. 13 - Inspection and Repair 1968-1975
3/5 Station No. 14 - Repair 1971-1977
3/6 Station No. 14 - Maintenance and Repair (includes plans for addition) 1969-1971
3/7 Station No. 15 - 1933 Minor Ave. - Maintenance (includes photographs and architectural drawings by Fred B. Stephen) 1951-1972
3/8 Station No. 16 - Inspection and Repair 1968-1975
3/9 Station No. 17 - Inspection and Repair 1968-1975
3/10 Station No. 17 1939-1971
3/11 Station No. 17 1907-1962
3/12 Station No. 18 (includes 1910 architectural drawings and photograph) 1969-1973
3/13 Station No. 19 - Planning 1969-1972
3/14 Station No. 19 - S. Spokane St. 1971-1975
3/15 Station No. 19 (includes Polaroid photographs) 1976-1981
3/16 Station No. 20 1909-1971
3/17 Station No. 20 - Inspection and Repair 1969-1975
3/18 Station No. 21 - Inspection and Repair 1909-1972
3/19 Station No. 22 1957-1973
3/20 Station No. 22 (includes photograph) 1969-1975
3/21 Station No. 22 - Inspection and Repair 1969-1975
3/22 Station No. 22 1908-1970
4/1 Station No. 24 1954-1971
4/2 Station No. 24 - American La France Elevated Platform 1968-1970
4/3 Station No. 24 - Planning (includes property appraisal) 1969-1975
4/4 Station No. 25 - Inspection and Repair 1971-1977
4/5 Station No. 25 - Drapes 1971-1973
4/6 Station No. 25 1908/1952
4/7 Station No. 25 1941-1973
4/8 Station No. 25 (includes photographs) 1970-1970
4/9 Station No. 25 - Dedication 1970
4/10 Station No. 25 (includes property appraisal) 1963-1969
4/11 Station No. 25 1970-1973
4/12 Station No. 25 (includes photographs) 1971-1972
4/13 Station No. 26 - Maintenance (includes photograph) 1971-1975
4/14 Station No. 27 (includes photographs) 1968-1973
4/15 Station No. 27 - Inspection and Repair 1970-1975
4/16 Station No. 27 - Planning 1968-1971
4/17 Station No. 27 (includes architectural drawings and photographs) 1968
4/18 Station No. 27 1910-1972
4/19 Station No. 27 - Bell 1970
4/20 Station No. 28 1911-1973
4/21 Station No. 28 - Inspection and Repair 1970-1975
5/1 Station No. 28 - Inspection and Repair 1963-1971
5/2 Station No. 29 - Inspection and Repair (includes photograph) 1970-1975
5/3 Station No. 29 1909-1969
5/4 Station No. 29 (includes photographs) 1969-1971
5/5 Station No. 29 (includes property appraisal) 1968-1971
5/6 Station No. 29 1968-1971
5/7 Station No. 30 (includes plans for alterations) 1913-1973
5/8 Station No. 30 - Inspection and Repair 1971-1975
5/9 Station No. 31 - Planning (includes slides and architectural drawings) 1972-1975
5/10 Station No. 31 - Planning (includes photographs) 1963-1973
5/11 Station No. 31 1973-1975
5/12 Station No. 32 1964-1968
5/13 Station No. 32 1913-1973
5/14 Station No. 32 (includes photographs) 1970-1975
5/15 Station No. 33 - Construction and Maintenance 1969-1975
5/16 Station No. 33 - Planning 1970-1972
5/17 Station No. 33 (includes photographs) 1971
5/18 Station No. 34 1971-1975
5/19 Station No. 34 - Planning (includes photographs and architectural drawings) 1968-1970
5/20 Station No. 34 (includes property appraisal) 1969-1974
6/1 Station No. 34 1914-1972
6/2 Station No. 35 1970-1975
6/3 Station No. 35 1908-1968
6/4 Station No. 36 1967-1972
6/5 Station No. 36 (includes photograph) 1970-1972
6/6 Station No. 36 - Inspection and Repair 1972-1975
6/7 Station No. 37 1909-1970
6/8 Station No. 37 1970-1975
6/9 Station No. 38 - Inspection and Repair 1970-1975
6/10 Station No. 38 (includes specifications) 1930-1967
6/11 Station No. 38 1931-1959
6/12 Station No. 38 1970-1975
6/13 Station No. 39 1929-1971
6/14 Station No. 39 1954-1973
6/15 Station No. 39 1972-1975
6/16 Station No. 40 1929-1973
6/17 Station No. 40 1967-1968
6/18 Station No. 41 - Inspection and Repair 1970-1975
6/19 Station No. 41 (includes architectural drawings) 1931-1972
6/20 Service Facility 1970-1972
6/21 Service Facility 1950-1963

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Subjects

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

  • Corporate Names :
  • Seattle (Wash.). Fire Dept.
  • Geographical Names :
  • Seattle (Wash.).--Politics and government
  • Subject Terms :
  • Fire stations--Maintenance and repair--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Fire stations--Washington (State)--Seattle
    • Form or Genre Terms :
    • Architectural drawings
    • Correspondence
    • Memorandums
    • Photographic prints
    • Occupations :
    • Fire fighters--Washington (State)--Seattle

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