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California Burning: Photographs from the Los Angeles Examiner

Engine company number four in front of the Old Fire House on Plaza Street in Los Angeles, 1887

Photograph of Engine company number four in front of the Old Fire House on Plaza Street in Los Angeles, 1887. Firemen are pictured on the street gathered around two horse-drawn fire engines, while the two-story brick building of the fire house stands behind them. On the lower level, the building is affixed with stable-gates, which are open. Above, a small balcony extends in front of a door which is flanked by two windows. A bellfry appears to be affixed to the building near its roof. A dog can be seen lazing under the rightmost engine.; "Old Fire House at the Plaza as it appeared in 1920 as a hotel, built in 1884 for the Thirty-Eights" -- unknown author.

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Engine company number four in front of the Old Fire House on Plaza Street in Los Angeles, 1887 The photograph depicts the first official building of the paid fire department in the city of Los Angeles. Before 1871, volunteer brigades were responsible for extinguishing fires. The original engine company was organized by the county clerk who enlisted storekeepers and important property owners as volunteer firemen. They struggled to draw all of their equipment and when the city council declined their request to purchase horses, they disbanded, leading to efforts to form the first paid fire service.

This fire house in the image, constructed in 1884, hosted the “Thirty-Eights” engine company which was named after the number of members in their original crew and was the fourth fire-fighting organization. Originally headquartered in a rundown shed owned by the city, the Thirty-Eights moved into the firehouse, thanks to the advocacy of Walter S. Moore, a former member of the Los Angeles City Council who served at the time as the chief engineer of the fire department [1]. The entire building, designed by the Midwestern architect William A. Boring, was modeled on the architectural style of Illinois. To the lower left of the image are horses which the Thirty-Eights were able to purchase, unlike their unpaid predecessors [3]. The building boasted a turntable system that helped efficiently store the new horses into their stables.

The period during which it was active was short lived but it was important to the firefighting legacy of the city as it transitioned to a modernizing system. In 1897, the city abandoned the building, citing the high rent prices for the lot. The firehouse was converted into a saloon and later a hotel, becoming unrecognizable in the mid 20th century [3]. After many decades, the state Division of Architecture managed to repair the building after it was left damaged as part of a historic recuperation effort during the 1940s [4]. It is now named a California Historical Landmark that serves as a museum open to the public and supported by local volunteers [5]. Firemen appreciate it for its sentimentality as a retirement symbol and for its help in furthering the educational value of the fire service [6].

[1] Grenier, Judson. “Plaza Firehouse Centennial”, 1.

[2] “A Few Highlights About Early Fire Department” Fireman’s Grapevine, (March 8, 1961), 1. Grenier, Judson. “Plaza Firehouse Centennial”,1.

[3] “Los Angeles Reopens its Old Plaza Fire Station” Fireman’s Grapevine, (November 1960), 1.

[4] Grenier, Judson. “Plaza Firehouse Centennial” “Los Angeles Reopens its Old Plaza Fire Station” Fireman’s Grapevine, (November 1960), 1.

[5] “Los Angeles Reopens its Old Plaza Fire Station” Fireman’s Grapevine, (November 1960), 1.

[6] “Restoration has Begun” , Fireman’s Grapevine, (June 1959) 1.