The Minneapolis Fire Department Repair Shop

The Minneapolis Fire Department Repair Shop, located at 24 Northeast University Avenue, is a building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The city established the shop to reorganize and consolidate fire department services, and the facility was also used to convert horse-drawn fire equipment to motorized vehicles.

Between 1929 and 1932, the shop built eight large pumpers because the existing Pierce Arrow touring car chassis had insufficient capacity. Representatives from the Minneapolis Fire Department visited the Milwaukee Fire Department to learn how they were building their own new pumpers. The Minneapolis shop then began building new pumpers using components from the Four Wheel Drive company.

Four Wheel Drive built the engines, drivetrains, suspension components, and other components, while the Minneapolis Fire Department shops provided the frames, bodywork, pumping equipment, and all other firefighting equipment. The Minneapolis Fire Department also completed the assembly of these vehicles. Although the pumpers had an ungainly appearance and were hard to steer, some remained in active service until 1955.

As of 2014, the property has been renovated into commercial space containing a restaurant/bar and offices.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons