The Enquirer’s Just Askin’ series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, except maybe Google.
First organized in 1853, the Cincinnati Fire Department is the nation’s oldest fully paid professional fire department, according to the City of Cincinnati.
Composed of four districts and 26 fire stations strategically placed from Saylor Park to Mt. Washington, the department boasts many historic buildings that have served the community for centuries.
Question: Which fire company is the oldest, and is it still operating after all these years?
Answer: Fire Company 16, located on 773 E McMillan Street in Walnut Hills
Constructed in the 1870s, Fire Company 16 is the oldest standing fire station in Cincinnati, according to the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation.
However, over a hundred years later, in 1977, a fire damaged the building, and Fire Company 16 was disbanded. The firefighters stationed there were sent to work at other posts.
Since then, the building has been under renovation. In 2014, the fire company was transformed into a restaurant space called Fireside Pizza.
So no, Fire Company 16 is no longer operational, but it still boasts the impressive title of the oldest standing station in the city, at over 150 years old.
Do you have a question for Just Askin’? Send it to us at justaskin@enquirer.com.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Just Askin’: What Cincinnati Fire company is the oldest in the city?
Reporting by Hailey Roden, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
