Delaware Fire stations

[Rob Pryor]

The former Wilmington Fire Station 5.  Built in 1893, home to the Water Witch Steam Fire Engine Company #5 till 1921 when Wilmington became a paid department.  From 1921 till January 18, 2014, the building was home to Engine Company #5, with the exception of 1986 and part of 1987 when the building was gutted and renovated/updated.  The station had for the most part became operationally obsolete, modern apparatus would barely fit in the building and the infrastructure, was outdated.  This was the last of Wilmington's original fire stations to be placed out of service.  The building was placed on the the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.  The station is now home to the department's Fire Prevention/Public Education Unit, at some point when funding is available, plans are to make it a museum, but those plans have been around since 1987.