Engine House No. 18 (Detroit, Michigan) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Engine House No. 18
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| Location | 3812 Mt. Elliott Avenue Detroit, Michigan |
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| Built | 1892 |
| Architect | George D. Mason & Zachariah Rice |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 95001368 |
| Added to NRHP | November 29, 1995 |
The Engine House No. 18 is a historic fire station in Detroit, Michigan. You can find it at 3812 Mt. Elliott Avenue. It's also called Engine Company No. 18 Fire Station. This building is very old! It's the third oldest fire station still standing in Detroit. For a long time, it was even the oldest one still in use, until it closed in 2012. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
History of Engine House No. 18
The land for this fire station was bought in 1891. It cost $2,100 back then. The building was designed by two Detroit architects. Their names were George D. Mason and Zachariah Rice. A company called Vinton & Co. built the station. It cost about $20,228 to build. The station was finished in 1892.
What Engine House No. 18 Looks Like
The Engine House is a two-story building. It is made of red brick. It has special trim made of red-orange sandstone and salmon-colored brick. The roof is high and has a unique double-pitch hip shape in the front. The back has a lower roof.
Look closely at the dormer windows! They have cool wooden decorations. You can see sculpted faces, serpents, and even dragonheads.
On the first floor, there are two large bays for fire engines. This is where the fire trucks would park. There is also an office for the station chief. Plus, there's a kitchen and a room for dining and relaxing.
Upstairs, on the second floor, you'll find the sleeping quarters for the firefighters. There's also an officer's room, a locker room, and a bathroom. A special chamber goes from the first floor all the way to the attic. This was used for drying fire hoses.
A new part was added to the back of the building in 1949. There is also a small, one-story brick storage building behind the main station.
