Seattle Fire Department Station House Records, 1903-1984

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Seattle (Wash.). Fire Dept.
Title
Seattle Fire Department Station House Records
Dates
1903-1984 (inclusive)
Quantity
8.2 cubic ft., (21 boxes)
Collection Number
2801-05
Summary
Records relating to the physical structures and maintenance of Seattle Fire Department station houses.
Repository
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov
Access Restrictions

Records are open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

A Fire Department was established by City Charter in 1883. It provided for equipment purchases, but not for hiring of firefighters. Following the Great Fire of 1889, a professional fire department was created with five district fire stations and purchase of a fire boat. The first Fire Chief of the professional department was Gardner Kellogg, who served 1890-1892 and 1895-1901. A Board of Fire Commissioners was established by the 1890 City Charter to prescribe rules and regulations for the Department. The Board's responsibilities included enforcing rules violations and appointing the Fire Chief and all subordinate officers. The Board was abolished with passage of a new City Charter in 1896.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This record series contains information about the physical structures of the station houses of the Seattle Fire Department. Types of materials include correspondence, memoranda, maintenance requests, architectural drawings and photographs. The records contain some materials related to personnel and community relations issues. New station planning materials, including building drawings and appraisal reports, are included for some stations. Requisitions for station amenities make up a large portion of the records, including requests for basketball hoops, new lockers, electricity or telephone service. Maintenance of the building makes up a large portion, in the form of inspection reports, repair requests and some materials regarding WISHA violations. Documentation outlining damage to the station house is also prevalent, including broken windows and doors, vandalism, automobile collisions and theft. The files are organized by station house number as designated by the Fire Department.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

Station House Locations

Although not an authoritative list, the following is a list of fire stations included in the records series and their locations by street address.

1: 7th and Columbia

2: 4th and Battery

4: 26th Ave SW and SW Florida

5: 925 Alaskan Way

6: 23rd Avenue and Yesler Way

7: 15th Ave E. and E. Harrison St.

8: Warren Ave. and Lee St.

9: Linden Ave. and N. 39th St.

9-1: 8729 15th Ave NE

10: 301 2nd Ave S.

11: 4423 Densmore Avenue

12: 16th SW and SW Holden

13: 3601 Beacon Avenue

16: 6846 Oswego Place

17: 1020 East 50th Street

26: 8201 10th Avenue South

27: 6210 13th Avenue South

28: 5968 Rainier Avenue

29: 2127 Ferry Avenue

30: 2931 Winthrope

32: 4321 West Alaska Street

33: 10235 62nd South

34: 633 32nd Avenue N.

36: 2219 W. Spokane St.

37: 7300 35th Ave SW

38: 5501 33rd Ave NE

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Seattle Fire Department Station House Records, Record Series 2801-05. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in numerical order by station number.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Seattle Fire Department Station House Records, 1903-1984Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
Building Department Correspondence
 1908-1924
1/2
Building Department Correspondence
 1925-1931
1/3
Building Department Correspondence
 1960-1965
1/4
Fire Alarm Headquarters
 1908-1962
1/5
Fire Apparatus Maintenance Shop (includes architectural drawings)
 1971-1977
1/6
Station No. 1
 1909-1937
1/7
Station No. 2 -- WISHA Citation
 1976-1977
1/8
Station No. 2 - Inspection and Maintenance
 1967-1975
2/1
Station No. 2
 1904-1930
2/2
Station No. 2
 1931-1952
2/3
Station No. 2
 1953-1963
2/4
Station No. 2
 1964-1983
2/5
Station No. 3
 1978
2/6
Station No. 4 - Planning (includes photographs)
 1969-1971
2/7
Station No. 4 - Includes vicinity plan
 1971-1975
2/8
New Fire Station No. 4 [includes photographs]
 1970-1983
3/1
Station No. 4 -- Land Acquisition
 1964-1984
3/2
Station No. 4 -- Misc. Drawings, etc. [photographs and architectural drawings)
 1966-1968
3/3
Station No. 5
 1911-1934
3/4
Station No. 5
 1936-1972
3/5
Station No. 5
 1959-1972
3/6
Station No. 5
 1969-1975
4/1
Station No. 5 (new)
 1970-1973
4/2
Station No. 5
 1966-1983
4/3
Station No. 5 Float [includes architectural drawings]
 1975-1983
4/4
Station 5-1
 1959-1960
4/5
Station No. 6 (includes photographs)
 1911-1979
4/6
Station No. 6 - Inspection and Repair (includes architectural drawings)
 1968-1975
4/7
Station No. 7
 1908-1968
4/8
Station No. 8 (new)
 1963-1970
4/9
Station No. 8
 1908-1980
4/10
Station No. 8 - Inspection and Repair
 1969-1975
5/1
Station No. 9 (includes photographs)
 1910-1983
5/2
Station No. 9 - Inspection and Repair
 1969-1975
5/3
Station No. 9-1 - Crown Hill
 1955-1973
5/4
Station No. 10 (includes 1928 specifications)
 1903-1950
5/5
Fire Station No. 10
 1928-1938
5/6
Station No. 10
 1938-1958
5/7
Station No. 10
 1961-1982
6/1
Station No. 10
 1963-1968
6/2
Station No. 10
 1966-1975
6/3
Station No. 10
 1971
6/4
New Fire Station N. 10
 1974-1979
6/5
Station No. 10 - Heating
 1932-1969
6/6
Station No. 10 -- Elevator File
 1974
6/7
Station No. 10 -- Violations and Appeal [includes photos]
 1976-1977
6/8
Station No. 10 -- WISHA citation
 1976-1977
6/9
Station No. 11
 1912-1971
7/1
Station No. 11 (includes appraisal)
 1968-1972
7/2
Station No. 11 (includes architectural drawings)
 1969-1971
7/3
Station No. 11 (includes photographs)
 1970-1978
7/4
Station No. 12 (includes photograph)
 1912-1971
7/5
Station No. 12 - Inspection and Repair
 1969-1971
7/6
Station No. 13
 1910-1978
8/1
Station No. 13 - Inspection and Repair
 1968-1975
8/2
Station No. 14 [includes blueprint]
 1907-1937
8/3
Station No. 14
 1938-1982
8/4
Station No. 14 (to accommodate 19)
 1966-1967
8/5
Station No. 14 - Maintenance and Repair (includes plans for addition)
 1969-1971
8/6
Station No. 14 - Repair
 1971-1977
8/7
Station No. 15
 1909-1972
9/1
Station No. 15 - 1933 Minor Ave. - Maintenance (includes photographs and architectural drawings by Fred B. Stephen)
 1951-1972
9/2
Station No. 16
 1907-1981
9/3
Station No. 16 - Inspection and Repair
 1968-1975
9/4
Station No. 17
 1939-1984
9/5
Station No. 17
 1907-1962
9/6
Station No. 17 - Inspection and Repair
 1968-1975
9/7
Station No. 18 - Includes 1910 architectural drawings and photograph
 1969-1973
10/1
Station No. 18
 1909-1955
10/2
Station No. 18
 1955-1974
10/3
New Fire Station No. 18
 1968-1971
10/4
New Fire Station No. 18
 1972-1981
10/5
Station No. 19
 1907-1963
10/6
Station No. 19 [includes property appraisal]
 1966-1970
10/7
Station No. 19 - Planning
 1969-1972
11/1
Station No. 19 - S. Spokane St
 1971-1975
11/2
Station No. 19
 1971-1979
11/3
Station No. 19 (includes polaroid photographs)
 1976-1981
11/4
Station No. 19 -- Corres. Re: replacement due to WS bridge
 1980
11/5
Station No. 19 -- Removal for bridge
 1979-1980
11/6
Station No. 20
 1909-1974
11/7
Station No. 20 - Inspection and Repair
 1969-1975
11/8
Station No. 21
 1909-1981
11/9
Station No. 21 - Inspection and Repair
 1909-1981
12/1
Station No. 22
 1908-1970
12/2
Station No. 22
 1957-1979
12/3
Station No. 22 - Inspection and Repair
 1969-1975
12/4
Station No. 24
 1954-1983
12/5
Station No. 24 - American La France Elevated Platform
 1968-1970
12/6
Station No. 24 - Planning (includes property appraisal)
 1969-1975
12/7
Station No. 25
 1908-1952
12/8
Station No. 25
 1941-1973
13/1
Station No. 25 (includes property appraisal)
 1963-1969
13/2
Station No. 25 - dedication
 1969-1970
13/3
Station No. 25 (includes photographs)
 1970-1971
13/4
Station No. 25 - Drapes
 1971-1973
13/5
Station No. 25 - Inspection and Repair
 1971-1977
13/6
Station No. 25
 1970-1981
13/7
Station No. 26 -- Sawdust Fire
 1937-1944
13/7
Station No. 26
 1911-1962
13/9
New Fire Station No. 26
 1968-1981
14/1
Station No. 26 - Planning (includes photographs)
 1971-1972
14/2
Station No. 26 - Maintenance (includes photograph)
 1971-1975
14/3
Station No. 27
 1910-1972
14/4
Station No. 27 - Architectural Drawings and Photographs
 1968
14/5
Station No. 27 - Planning
 1968-1971
14/6
Station No. 27 - Bell
 1970
14/7
Station No. 27 (includes photographs)
 1968-1976
14/8
Station No. 27 - Inspection and Repair
 1970-1975
15/1
Station No. 28
 1911-1979
15/2
Station No. 28 - Inspection and Repair
 1963-1971
15/3
Station No. 28 - Inspection and Repair
 1970-1975
15/4
Station No. 29
 1909-1969
15/5
Station No. 29 - includes property appraisal
 1968-1971
15/6
Station No. 29
 1968-1971
15/7
Station No. 29 - includes photographs
 1969-1981
15/8
Station No. 29 - Inspection and Repair (includes photograph)
 1970-1975
16/1
Station No. 30 - includes alteration plans
 1913-1980
16/2
Station No. 30 - inspection and repair
 1971-1975
16/3
Station No. 31
 1946-1975
16/4
Station No. 31 - Planning - includes photographs
 1963-1973
16/5
New Fire Station No. 31 [includes appraisal report]
 1967-1972
16/6
Station No. 31 - Planning-( includes slides, architectural drawings)
 1972-1975
16/7
New Fire Station No. 31
 1973-1984
17/1
Station No. 32
 1913-1973
17/2
Station No. 32
 1964-1968
17/3
Station No. 32 ( includes photographs)
 1970-1979
17/4
Station No. 33
 1913-1951
17/5
Station No. 33
 1952-1973
17/6
Station No. 33 - Construction and Maintenance
 1969-1975
17/7
Station No. 33 - Planning
 1970-1972
17/8
New Fire Station No. 33
 1968-1983
18/1
Station No. 34
 1914-1972
18/2
Station No. 34 - Planning - includes photographs and architectural drawings
 1968-1970
18/3
Station No. 34 - includes photographs
 1971
18/4
Station No. 34 -- Inspection and Repair
 1971-1975
18/5
Station No. 34 - includes property appraisal
 1969-1979
18/6
Station No. 35
 1908-1968
18/7
Station No. 35 -- Inspection and Repair
 1970-1975
19/1
Station No. 36
 1926-1959
19/2
Station No. 36 (includes photograph)
 1960-1972
19/3
New Station No. 36 [includes appraisal]
 1967-1970
19/4
Station No. 36
 1967-1972
19/5
Station No. 36 - Inspection and Repair
 1972-1975
19/6
New Station No. 36
 1971-1984
19/7
Station No. 37
 1909-1978
19/8
Station No. 37 [Inspection and Repair]
 1970-1975
19/9
Station No. 38
 1931-1953
19/10
Station No. 38
 1954-1959
20/1
Station No. 38 (includes specifications)
 1930-1967
20/2
Station No. 38 - Inspection and Repair
 1970-1975
20/3
Station No. 38
 1977-1979
20/4
Station No. 39
 1929-1971
20/5
Station No. 39
 1954-1977
20/6
Station No. 39
 1972-1975
20/7
Station No. 39
 1970-1975
20/8
Station No. 40
 1929-1981
20/9
Station No. 40
 1967-1968
20/10
Station No. 41 -(includes architectural drawings)
 1931-1953
20/11
Station No. 41
 1954-1974
20/12
Station No. 41 - Inspection and Repair
 1970-1975
21/1
New Fire Station No. 42
 1972-1973
21/2
Services Facility
 1950-1963
21/3
Services Facility
 1970-1972

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Fire stations--Maintenance and repair--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Fire stations--Washington (State)--Seattle

Corporate Names

  • Seattle (Wash.). Fire Dept.

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.).--Politics and government

Form or Genre Terms

  • Architectural drawings
  • Correspondence
  • Memorandums
  • Photographic prints

Occupations

  • Fire fighters--Washington (State)--Seattle

Finding aid prepared by Anne Frantilla
2004

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