National Register of Historic Places

Engine Company 27

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
Listed
May 17, 2011
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
11000284

About this property

Engine Company 27 also known as the Deanwood Firehouse is a historic firehouse located at 4409 Minnesota Ave., NE, Washington, D.C. It was designed by Leon E. Dessez and completed in 1908. It originally housed Chemical Company 1, which served areas not yet connected to fire hydrants. On June 15, 1914, this company was replaced by Engine Company 27 which went in service with a 1906 American LaFrance Metropolitan 500 GPM steam fire engine and a 1903 American LaFrance 70 gallon double tank combination chemical/hose wagon. At 6:00 PM on May 4, 1945, Engine Company 27 became the second firehouse in the District to be staffed entirely by African Americans, the first having been Engine Company 4. Joseph A. Briscoe was promoted from lieutenant to captain and served as the first station commander, Rafael Smith was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant, and Clarence J Short was promoted from private to sergeant. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in May, 2011 as part of the Firehouses in Washington DC multiple property submission. In 2021, Engine 27 moved to a newly-built firehouse one-quarter mile north at 4409 Minnesota Ave NE.

Location

4201 Minnesota Ave., N.E.
Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
38.90206, -76.94382

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Mayfair Mansions Apartments
Industrial
0.3 mi
First Baptist Church of Deanwood
Pre Contact
0.3 mi
Smothers Elementary School
Industrial
0.7 mi
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
Listed
0.8 mi
Lenthall Houses
Early Republic
0.8 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Bladensburg
1814Early Republic
2.2 mi
Burning of Washington DC — Battle of Bladensburg
1814Early Republic
2.7 mi
Battle of Bladensburg (Burning of Washington)
1814Early Republic
2.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Engine Company 27 listed on the National Register?

Engine Company 27 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 17, 2011.

What type of historic resource is Engine Company 27?

Engine Company 27 is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Engine Company 27?

The period of significance for Engine Company 27 is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Engine Company 27?

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