The
Wilmington Fire Department dates back to 1846, when the first volunteer
fire company was organized. By 1867, six fire
companies were protecting the coastal city. One year later, the
first steam fire engine was delivered. A fully-paid fire
department was inaugurated on December 1, 1897. It consisted of 30
men, three steamers, three hose reels, and one hook and ladder
truck. Ten years later, the first fireboat was placed in service in
1907. The first motor apparatus was purchased in 1912 and within six
years, the department was fully motorized.
Historian Mike Legeros
explores the twentieth-century history of the Wilmington Fire
Department with a photographic tour of four former firehouses.
Old Station
2
602 South 5th Avenue
Built 1915 / Closed 1956
Presently offices
In April 1915,
Engine Company 2 relocated one block west to the corner of
5th and Castle Streets.
Their new station housed
six men, two horses, and a two-horse hose wagon.
Designed by local architect James F. Gause,
Jr., the Italianate structure also housed a bell
relocated from the corner of 4th and Dock Streets.
The bell sounded alarms until the last fire horse was
retired in 1918.
In 1956, Engine 2 relocated to
the new Headquarters Station on Dock Street. The old fire
bell was also relocated to that location.
In 1966, a new Station 2 opened at 3403 Park Avenue.
The old
station presently serves as office space.
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Old Station
3
602 North 4th Street
Built 1907 / Closed 1975
Presently municipal offices
Opened on December 31, 1907, the combination engine and
market house replaced an earlier Station 3 at
that location.
The two-story brick building, created by architect H. L. Bonitz
and builder R. H. Brady, first housed the Hook and
Ladder Company and Chemical Engine Company 1.
The market house was located in an adjoining one-story
structure
By 1910, Station 3 housed six men, two horses, a hose wagon,
and a second-size Silsby steamer.
In 1965, Engine 3 relocated to Headquarters at the corner of
4th and Dock Streets. In 1978, a new Station 3 opened at
3933 Princess Place Drive.
Formerly occupied by a gym and renovated in 2003, the old
station is presently used by the Police Department.
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Old Station 5
1702 Wrightsville Avenue
Built 1931 / Closed 1966
Presently residence and dance studio
Wilmington Fire Station 5 opened on October 1, 1931 at the corner of Wrightsville
Avenue and 17th Street.
The Mission Style structure with stucco walls and tile roof
was designed by architects Lynch and Foard and constructed by
U. A. Underwood.
In 1966, the facility was closed and Engine 5 relocated to the Headquarters Station. In
1974, a new Station 5 opened at 310 Wellington Avenue.
The two-story brick building with 4,300 square-feet was
renovated in 1974 to house the headquarters of the city's
Traffic Division.
The old station presently serves a residence and commercial dance studio.
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Old Station
6
302 Willard Street
Built 1942 / Closed 1976
Presently municipal offices
Wilmington's sixth fire station opened in the fall of 1942 at the
intersection of 3rd and Willard Streets.
The two-story, single-bay brick building cost $35,000.
It was built primarily to protect war housing around
Greenfield Lake and other buildings.
In 1985, Station 6 relocated to 3939 Carolina Beach Road.
The old station is presently used as office space for the
Parks and Recreation Department.
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Headquarters
Stations
Photo courtesy
New Hanover
County Public Library, Dr. Robert M. Fales Collection
Three headquarters stations were
located the corner of 4th and Dock Streets. By
1898, the fire department's central station consisted of two
buildings: a two-story building
at
16 South 4th Street housing a chemical engine company and a
two-story wooden building at 313 Dock Street housing a hook and
ladder company. By 1904, a wooden bell tower had
been erected behind the buildings. In 1907, the chemical
engine house was replaced with a two-story brick building addressed 14
South 4th Street. Also that year, the hook and ladder house was
closed and sold. By 1915, a training tower had been added to the
rear of the
fire station. Also that year, the bell from the old tower was moved to
Station 2 at the corner of Castle and 5th Streets.
In November 1954, constructed started on a new headquarters station. The old 1907 building was
demolished and operations were temporarily moved to 3 South 2nd Street.
In April 1956, the completed station opened and a formal dedication
was held on May 23, 1956. The five-bay building included space for
three engine companies, one aerial ladder company, one foam truck,
and one auxiliary truck. The two-story facility also housed the fire department's maintenance garage and
administrative offices. In 2000, the Headquarters Station
was moved again to 801 Market Street. The old 1956 building was
demolished and a church was constructed on the property.
Map
References
Wilmington Fire Department
Sanborn Fire
Insurance Maps via NC LIVE
Requires password available from your local library. After
logging into NC LIVE, click Browse Resources and select Maps
New Hanover County Public Library
A book about the Wilmington Fire Department were published in
1985. Search the Library Catalog for keywords "Wilmington Fire." The
book Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical
Portrait by Tony P. Wrenn was also consulted, along with
materials from the Bill Reaves Collection
The Series
Asheville Former Firehouses
Charlotte Former Firehouses
Durham
Former Firehouses
Fayetteville Former Firehouses
Goldsboro Former Firehouses
Greensboro Former Firehouses
High
Point Former Firehouses
Kinston Former Firehouses
New
Bern Former Firehouses
Raleigh Former Firehouses
Rocky
Mount and Wilson Former Firehouses
Wilmington Former Firehouses
Winston-Salem Former Firehouses
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