Fire Station No. 1

Fire Station No. 1. . The forerunner to today’s Redwood City Fire Department began in 1861 when citizens met to establish a volunteer fire company. Known as Redwood City Fire Company No. 1, it was the first non-profit organization in San Mateo County. The first fire house was built on the corner of Marshall and Main Street in 1862. In 1869 the building was moved near the corner of Strambaugh and Main Street., Fire Station No. 1 was built on this site in 1920. The San Francisco firm of architect J.R. Miller with chief draftsman, Timothy Pflueger, drew up plans for the new firehouse in the Italian Renaissance Style, and the contract was awarded to Fred Warden of San Francisco. The formal opening took place in July 1920. That same year the first paid men of the department were hired. It wasn’t until 1931 that Chief Mark E. Ryan became the first paid fire chief having been first elected to that position in 1915., The Fire Department left this site in 1984, moving to temporary quarters until 1987 when the newly built Headquarters Station opened at 755 Marshall Street. The building was remodeled and expanded in 1989 to house the Redwood City Public Library, winner of the 1992 Library of the Year Award and a multiple National 5-Star rating from the Library Journal.