Engine Company No. 21 - 1893
Truck Company No. 6 - 1893
1152 Oak Street (mapped location)

San Francisco Official Landmark 89

Neighborhood: Inner Haight

Company History:
1893   Engine Co. No. 21 organized and assigned to quarters
1893   Truck Co. No. 6 organized and assigned to quarters
1915   September 19th, both companies converted to motorized apparatus
1916   Truck Co. No.6 relocated to the quarters of Engine Co. No. 27, 349 Herman Street
1958   December, Engine Co. No. 21 relocated to new quarters at 1443 Grove Street
1959   to the present, various Department uses

The firehouse of Engine Co. No. 21 and Truck Co. No. 6 was designed by Henrikson & Mahoney.  This 1893 building in the Haight district is in a Victorian style, and is noted for its prominent five story hose tower.  Motorized apparatus replaced the horse drawn equipment on September 19, 1915.  On this date Engine 21 received a 1915 Seagrave, registry #13102, chain driven double combination 750 GPM pumper and hose wagon with a 6 cylinder 79.3 HP engine.  Truck 6 received a 1915 American LaFrance Type 12, 4 wheel tractor with a 1901 Rumsey city service trailer.  In 1958 Engine Co. No. 21 was moved to new quarters at 1443 Grove Street.  Over the following years the firehouse was used by the Department for general storage, as a clothing depot, as headquarters of the portable water system, and during the 1990's as its gymnasium.  In 2004 the Department declared the building surplus in an effort to balance its budget.  Local community groups including the Haight-Divisadero Neighbors and Merchants Association  turned out at the May 13, 2004 meeting of the Fire Commission to demand that the Commission stop the sale of this historic landmark.  The firehouse was removed from the surplus list, and now the firehouse is an active part of the neighborhood. It is the oldest firehouse still owned by the Fire Department.