Fire House No. 1 at Fort Hancock, Gateway National Recreation Area
FORT HANCOCK WALKING TOUR
Tour Stop 13: Firehouse No. 1
Building Number 51
Construction Date: 1905
Firehouse No. 1 was the first of two firehouses built at Fort Hancock. However, it was not very close to the Enlisted Men’s Barracks, and since these men served as the base firefighters, a second firehouse was built in 1910 that was closer to the barracks so that the men could get to the equipment faster if a fire broke out. Today the building is used by the National Park Service to house the Sandy Hook firetruck and other equipment. Park Rangers serve as the firemen.
When built, the firehouse could hold two firetrucks and had two garage doors. However, by World War II the trucks had become much larger and only one could fit inside. Because of this, the double doors were removed and replaced by a single door.
The tower on the rear of the building was used to dry fire hoses. The building to the right of the firehouse was constructed in 1899 as the fort’s maintenance building, but during World War II it was used as the firehouse office and dormitory for firemen on duty.
Photo of Fort Hancock’s Firehouse 1 c. 1940
Next Stop: Mule Barn | Previous Stop: Bakery
Fort Hancock Walking Tour Home Page
With a few exceptions, use of any photograph on the National Park Planner website requires a paid Royalty Free Editorial Use License or Commercial Use License. See the Photo Usage page for details.
Last updated on December 10, 2024
