Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published in the Summer 2026 issue of Extant, a publication of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.
Engine 6
Location: 2601 Belgrade Street
Architect: Unknown
Built: Circa 1913
In 2025, the Philadelphia Fire Department announced the return of its historic Engine 6 to a noble and historic firehouse in Port Richmond. The two-story brick building, crowned with stone lion heads and adorned with wood-framed windows, scrollwork, and Mural Arts tributes to the company’s heroic spirit, should be honored with designation on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.
Engine 6 was formed in 1871 when the fire company was located at 134 Allen Street and operated a horse-drawn steamer engine and a hand-drawn hose carriage. The company moved in 1875 to a station on Montgomery Avenue, then moved in with Ladder 16 at the Belgrade Street firehouse in 1952. From the 1950s through the 1970s, Engine 6 was chosen for pilot programs that improved firefighting equipment and water supply strategy.
Engine 6 was one of seven companies deactivated in 2009 during the Great Recession, but the Belgrade Street station remained open as home to Ladder 16. A FEMA grant funded a major refurbishment of the building that allowed for the proud return of Engine 6 in early 2025.
