The last firehouse to be organized as a horse-drawn engine company for D.C. Fire and EMS has just received a multimillion-dollar upgrade to prepare it for another 100 years of service.
Renovations at the Foggy Bottom firehouse include a weight-activated fire pole that seals between uses to prevent truck exhaust from seeping upstairs. There’s also an upgraded exhaust-removal system, a lactation room and high-tech alerts in sleeping areas that flash blue for ambulance calls or red for fires.
“The renovation has created a modern, safe and healthy workplace that translates into higher morale and company pride in Engine 23,” Engine Company 23’s Capt. Phillip Stevens said at Tuesday’s ribbon cutting.
“Since moving back into the firehouse, we’ve adopted a motto that has proven itself to be relevant on many runs already: ‘Stay ready and you won’t have to get ready.’ These upgrades from the renovation are a piece of the puzzle that allows us to maintain that state of readiness,” he said.
The building’s original hay door from the second floor that would be opened to receive hoisted-up hay for the horses was saved from the dumpster during the nine-month renovation.
Firefighter Joseph Johnson, who is a woodworker, cleaned up the door and turned it into a table that’s now in the station’s kitchen. Another door discovered during renovation was turned into a display frame for historic photos.
“This firehouse is one of our department’s treasured jewels and is rich with history. When it went into service 112 years ago, it began service with a horse-drawn steam engine and it also has the unique position of being located on what eventually became the grounds of The George Washington University,” said D.C. Fire Chief John A. Donnelly Sr.
“These renovations upgrading this 112-year-old firehouse include changes to keep our members safe, comfortable and accommodate new apparatus and ensure the needs of the community are met for the next 100 years,” he said.
Donnelly noted that Engine 23 — located at 2119 G St. NW — is on the National Register of Historic Places and is also responsible for protecting other iconic locations, such DAR Constitution Hall, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Kennedy Center, the Old Naval Observatory, the State Department, the Watergate Hotel, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and St. Mary’s Episcopal Church.
Highlights of the refurbished firehouse are shown in the video and the photo gallery below.
