Engine 11/Engine 40 quarters, 260 Sumner St., East Boston (1865)
The first firehouse at 260 Sumner St. in East Boston was a two story, 2 bay, brick firehouse built in 1865. Engine Co. 11 was organized here on January 1, 1866. Ladder 2 moved to this firehouse at the same time from their former location at Paris and Meridian Sts.
Engine 11 moved to a new location at the quarters of Chemical Co. 7 at 761 Saratoga St., corner of Byron St., on July 11, 1890. Engine Co. 9 moved temporarily to 260 Sumner St. the same day from their old firehouse at 60 Paris St. The old firehouse was demolished to allow for construction of a new firehouse at the same location. Ladder 2 remained at 260 Sumner St. with Engine 9.
Engine 9 moved back to the new firehouse at 60 Paris St. on March 31, 1891. Engine Co. 40 was organized in the firehouse at 260 Sumner St. on May 18, 1891 and Ladder 2 moved to the new firehouse at 60 Paris St. with Engine 9 the same day. (The date of Ladder 2 moving to 60 Paris St. was not recorded. It may have happened in April, but no evidence exists to confirm that.)
Engine Co. 40 converted from horse drawn to motor apparatus on July 24, 1923.
Engine 40 remained at 260 Sumner St. until October 3,1923, when they moved temporarily to the quarters of Chemical 7 at 360 Saratoga St. The old firehouse on Sumner St. was demolished and a new firehouse was built at the same location.
Engine 40 quarters, 260 Sumner St., East Boston (1924)
The firehouse at 260 Sumner St. at the corner of Orleans St. is located in the Jeffries Point section of East Boston. This building was the quarters of Engine Co. 40 and is a three story, two bay, brick firehouse.
The firehouse opened on November 8, 1924 when Engine 40 moved here from a temporary location at Chemical 7 quarters at 360 Saratoga St. Engine 40 had moved to that location on October 3, 1923 during construction of the new firehouse.
On August 14, 1930, Ladder 2 moved temporarily to 260 Sumner St. during renovations to their firehouse. They returned to 60 Paris St. on January 21, 1931.
Engine 40 remained at this location until May 13, 1977 when they moved to a new firehouse at 239 Sumner St. with Engine 9 and Ladder 2. The firehouse at 260 Sumner St. was closed.
In 2004, Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development developed guidelines of the redevelopment of the property. In May of 2005, Zumix was awarded ownership of the building. Zumix, founded in 1991, is a community-based program for the development of music and performance arts in the East Boston neighborhood. For more information on Zumix and the redevelopment of the Firehouse go to the Zumix web page.