City of Charleston Fire Department

Of the three fire stations built in 1887 after the Great earthquake, only this one at 116 Meeting St. is no longer in use; it has been converted into offices.

The first fire department in Charleston was a private insurance company which responded to fires of its members only; insured houses were marked by a metal plate on the front of the house. The first fire insurance company in America, the Friendly Society, began in Charleston on February 3, 1736.[4] The earliest records of a volunteer fire department in Charleston appear in the minutes of the Board of Firemasters dated October 18, 1819. References to a Board of Firemasters date back to at least 1792.[5] Until January 1, 1882, the fire department was a voluntary effort; after that date, the city fire department was a paid, professional department of the city. The newly formed fire department of 1882 had 103 firemen. Its first fire pumper was bought in 1910.[6]

Following the 1886 Charleston earthquake that devastated Charleston, the board of the Firemasters suggested selling off some stations, buying new locations, and building stations in a more strategic layout.[7] The result was a series of three firehouses. Each one was designed by Daniel G. Wayne and cost about $28,000. The firehouse at the northeast corner of Wentworth and Meeting Streets became the most prominent and was, until 2013, the central fire house and office for the Chief of the fire department.[8] The other two stations, built in 1887 are at 5 Cannon St. and 116 Meeting St. A new Headquarters opened on Heriot St. in November 2013, and the department has a total of 15 stations. The new Headquarters, Station 9, was designed by Rosenblum Coe Architects is the largest fire station in Charleston and built to withstand severe storms and seismic activity.[9]