Lost Capitol Hill: The Lincoln Hospital Fire Engine

In digging through the Washington Evening Star archives at the DC Library, I came across an intriguing note: That there had once been a fire station near Lincoln Hospital – ie today’s Lincoln Park – during and just after the Civil War. Sadly, I was unable to find a whole lot more about this site in particular (such as where, exactly, it was located) but I did find out a little more surrounding the United States Steam Fire Brigade, to which this particular engine belonged.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, life changed immediately and dramatically in Washington. Chief among the changes was the massive influx of people, mainly soldiers there to protect the city, but also those who hoped to make a buck in the war economy. It became almost immediately clear that the city’s infrastructure would not tolerate the increased population, and steps were taken to keep matters from getting out of hand.

One of the issues that needed to be addressed was the lack of fire-fighting equipment. Until 1861, a few volunteer organizations existed to fight the fires that were an all-to frequent occurrence in the city. It was, thus, decided to beef up the capacity in this regard, and so a new organization was created: The United States Steam Fire Brigade. Composed mainly of firefighters from Philadelphia, it was run, as the name suggest, by the US government. The first engine, while built in Philadelphia, came via Fort Monroe in Virginia, where it had been used to suppress fires in this important bastion. As was usual in that time, it was given a name: Hibernia.

The Vigilant engine from Philadelphia, built along the same lines as the Reanie & Neafie engines (Google books)

In 1863, the next two engines came directly from Philadelphia, from the Reanie & Neafie works. Reanie & Neafie was better known for the ship’s engines they built, but in the middle of the 19^th Century, they built some 40 steam-powered fire engines that were well-known for their ability to shoot water long distances. The first of the engines, named for Quartermaster General Montgomery Meigs, was installed in Foggy Bottom, while the other, named for General D. H. Rucker – Meigs’s second in command – was parked in Southwest. Overall control of the new brigade was given to William Dickson, also from Philadelphia.

The engines were kept busy. Multiple fires, including at the War Department, ensured that they earned their keep. Two fires in 1865 came to special attention in the news of the day: On April 18, a major fire swept through an alley just north of Mt Vernon Square. Firefighters from all over the city, including all three USSFB engines, helped put it out. A few days later, a Mr. Kraft, whose property had been spared through their quick action, took to the pages of the Evening Star to express his thanks. A few months later, the engines were once again called out, this time to fight a fire at Lincoln Hospital, a mile east of the Capitol. Given that the structure was made of wood and canvas, the danger was great. Fortunately, the patients had recently been removed, and the only people there were some officers giving a ball elsewhere on the site; they “united with the firemen in staying the flames.”

Around this time, the Meigs engine was relocated to near Lincoln Hospital at 15^th and East Capitol. It had become clear that the eastern part of the city was under served by fire-fighting equipment, and so this change was ordered.

For the next couple of years, the USSFB continued to operate. Eventually, the Rucker engine-house was closed, while the Hibernia and Meigs engines continued on. Finally, in September 1871, the city’s fire-fighting was centralized under a single authority, and the USSFB was disbanded. Many of the fire-fighters returned to Philadelphia, but William Dickson, who had been in charge the whole time, decided to stay in the city, and became a restaurant-owner as well as a local politician.

In the eight years of its existence, the USSFB had, according to the National Republican “done much to save millions of dollars’ worth of property, not only of the Government, but of the citizens of Washington.”