News

HBI to Restore Firehouse for New Headquarters

Eustis Street Firehouse and Cemetary

Historic Boston Incorporated recently won a bid to renovate the Eustis Street Fire House, one of the city’s most endangered landmarks, and will turn the Roxbury structure into its new headquarters.HBI will restore the exterior of the red brick building and reconstruct a two-story wood-framed addition. Once it is complete, HBI will move into the space from its current home in the Old Corner Bookstore.

“This is a watershed moment for Historic Boston Inc,” said Executive Director Kathy Kottardis. “It is an important opportunity for us to lead by example and demonstrate our commitment to redeveloping valuable historic resources for new uses in Boston’s neighborhoods.”

The city’s oldest surviving firehouse has long been in peril from years of neglect. The distinctive Italianate style building features a granite arched entry and hand-carved brackets. It currently is propped up with wooden braces through an interim rescue project HBI supported 15 years ago.

HBI’s move into the building is intended to spur a greater interest in preservation projects designed to encourage economic development within the Roxbury neighborhood as well as other parts of Boston.

“Our neighborhoods have many overlooked historic buildings that could become the cornerstone for revitalizing key areas of the city,” Kottaridis said.

As a resident partner in the neighborhood, HBI will work to assist advocacy organizations there with planning for historic preservation. It will also be an on-the-ground resource for property owners and local organizations for the preservation and rehabilitation of important historical places.

Eustis Street Firehouse and Cemetary

Through this project, HBI will provide safe access to the adjacent Eliot Burying Ground through the firehouse property. This will be the first time in decades that people with limited physical abilities will be able to enter the 1633 cemetery without additional assistance.

HBI will also train docents to provide interpretation of the Eustis Street Architectural Conservation district, which includes the firehouse, burying ground and Owen Nawn Factory (1870). The organization will support and coordinate with tours and presentations given by other groups in the neighborhood.

The project is expected to take two years and will be conducted according to the Secretary of the Interior’s rehabilitation standards. It will be funded by a combination of public and private grants and loans. HBI will lease the structure from the City of Boston for 99 years.

The team working on the project includes Bergmeyer Associates, Structures North, Tremont Preservation, Building Initiatives and Lee Kennedy Company.

Firehouse History

The Eustis Street Firehouse was built in 1859 when Roxbury was still an independent municipality. After Roxbury’s annexation in 1868, the City of Boston built an addition for stables and more modern equipment. That addition was demolished in 1991 due to concerns about structural stability.

The Firehouse served "Hook and Ladder Co. No. 4" until 1881. During that time, the company was called in to help fight the Great Boston Fire of 1872.

From 1889 until 1916, the building housed "Chemical Wagon No. 10.”

The Fire Department abandoned the building in 1926 and leased the building to a Spanish-American War veterans post until 1954.