Hope Engine Company (733 S. 6th Street)

by Scott Welden, for BVNA Historic Preservation Committee

Like so many, I gained a new appreciation for neighborhood walks during the COVID-19 pandemic. These quiet strolls forced me to slow down, look up, and appreciate my neighborhood in new ways.

One of my favorite routes took me down S. 6th Street between Bainbridge Street and Fitzwater Street, where I noticed a beautiful 4-story row home. Now a residential building, 733 S. 6th Street is technically in Queen Village (since Bella Vista’s eastern border begins on the west side of 6th Street), but I thought the building was so unique I had to learn more about it.

Built in 1851–1852 by Hoxie and Button (fl. 1848–1852), the building originally served as a firehouse for Hope Engine Company №17. As previously referenced in our September 2020 Building of the Month article featuring Engine Company 11 on South Street, fire service companies in Philadelphia at the time were entirely volunteer-based and composed of white men. The companies were also organized locally and volunteers were deeply loyal to their own neighborhoods. As a result, fierce rivalries between firehouses arose, sometimes leading to violence.

Hope Engine Company frequently feuded with Moyamensing Hose Company №27 (located in what is today Columbus Hall on 744–746 S. 8th Street). In one incident in July 1867, members of both fire companies were arrested for inciting a riot and for the destruction of property (specifically of Hope Engine Company). These violent disturbances eventually became so frequent that a special council had to be called in the city to try to settle the dispute!

The firehouse was eventually disbanded in 1871, one year before the city created the Philadelphia Fire Department in 1872. After this, there is limited documentation on how the building was repurposed. Today, it is a residential home on one of our neighborhoods most beautiful blocks, and serves as a colorful reminder of our neighborhood’s fascinating history. Please feel free to contact the committee if you have more information on the history of this building!

References:

• Philadelphia Inquirer Hope Engine Company №17, 733 South Sixth Street, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA (loc.gov)
• Hope Engine Company №17 (philadelphiabuildings.org)

Interested in learning more about Bella Vista’s historical buildings? Feel free to join our monthly meetings which are typically held on the third Monday of every month at 7:00 PM. Please reach out to scott.welden3@gmail.com for details.