Engine Company No. 13 of the Richmond Fire Department - Before and After

I love when I can show three different eras for a Before and After. Today we can see the amazing engine house for Engine Company No. 13 of the Richmond Fire Department, on Bainbridge Street at 10th Street in Manchester during the early 20th century, 1960s and today. First up, what looks to be the 1920s. Click the photos below for the high resolution images.

Next up is a shot from December of 1963. The building still appears to be in use, with only some minor changes. The old stoplight is even still hanging in the intersection.

Unfortunately, here's how this intersection looked up until recently...the engine house is long gone, although part of the side wall remained.

As of July 2012, a block long apartment building is nearing completion where this engine house once stood. Much better than the empty lot, hopefully these apartments will fit in nicely with the neighborhood. With all the revitalization in Manchester, I can't help but wonder what the old engine house would have looked like as apartments or a house.

1920s photo courtesy of The Library of Virginia

1963 photo courtesy of VCU Libraries