Old Engine 12 5.05

Old Engine 12 is located on the corner of North Capitol Street NW and Quincy Place NW at 1626 North Capitol Street NW. The building was erected in 1895 by a municipal architect. The firehouse was built to serve the Eckington Community and its surroundings.

Even though the Firehouse was finished in 1895 it wasn't officially commemorated until July 1, 1897.

It is believed that this unique Spanish Colonial style firehouse, which is constructed of brick and granite, had special attention placed on it in order to stay in keeping with the neighborhood and especially its residents.

The building stands in much of its same splendor today. However, some interesting changes have occurred. The stables, which used to house the horses for the wagons, have now been replaced with a courtyard. The upstairs, which once had a large room to store the hay for the stables, later transformed to a shower area for the men and now has been transformed to a banquet kitchen. The remaining part of the upstairs contained the living quarters for the firemen; now serves as our banquet space and private event space. Reminiscent of the old spiral staircase, which in the wintertime prevented horses from climbing upstairs to the living area where the heat existed, has now been relocated to the second floor.

Fathi & Associates has made great efforts to preserve as much of the original building as possible, but yet still allow the operation to be functional as a restaurant. The glazed brick walls, the loft area, and the original rear staircase have all been preserved.

Since opening as a restaurant in 2014, Old Engine 12 still serves the neighborhood today, but in a slightly different capacity, with its American Classic menu.