Truck House No. 13 (Engine Company No. 10; Trinidad Firehouse)
The design elements of this firehouse, while innovative, were never replicated.
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Architecture firm Parks & Baxter designed the Colonial Revival firehouse in 1925, and it still serves as an active fire station today. One of the first firehouses built in DC after World War I, the building experimented with design, albeit unsuccessfully. Instead of creating a separate second floor, the building features an open second-floor bay that serves as the dormitory space. However, the layout was not replicated due to the lack of noise insulation, fume buffering from the first floor, and insulation from hot and cold temperatures in the open space.
The firm of Parks & Baxter was responsible for designing the grounds of Hampshire Gardens, the city’s first garden-style apartment complex. The duo also designed buildings, including Tilden Gardens, which is in the Cleveland Park Historic District. While not much is known about Parks, Baxter’s later career also included work with Arthur B. Heaton on the George Washington University campus, in addition to previous work designing homes in Wesley Heights.
In 1940, Truck House No. 13 would combine with the “old” Engine Company No. 10 located at 1341 Maryland Avenue. After the consolidation, Truck House No. 13 would assume the name of Engine Company No. 10.
This site is listed in the Firehouses in Washington, DC: 1806-1945 Multiple Property Document.
DC Inventory: July 22, 2004
National Register: June 6, 2007
