Downtown Seattle in King County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)

Fire Bell No. 4

Photographed by Abigail, October 14, 2016

1. Fire Bell No. 4 Marker

Inscription. Historic fire bell from Station No. 4 located at 4th and Battery Street in the 1800's prior to the first Denny regrade - This bell sounded out the fire alarms to all the stations in the North End area and Queen Anne Hill by means of area code and box number - The horse drawn engine then responded to the location - The sound of the bell could be heard for nearly ten miles.

Erected by The Seattle Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Charity & Public Work. In addition, it is included in the Historic Bells series list.

Location. 47° 36.952′ N, 122° 20.673′ W. Marker is in Seattle, Washington, in King County. It is in Downtown Seattle. It is on 4th Avenue just south of Battery Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2320 4th Avenue, Seattle WA 98121, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Washington’s Puget Sound Region.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast,

in the Pacific Northwest,

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Cascade Range,

in the Inside Passage,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Speakeasy Café (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Austin A. Bell Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Belltown Pan (approx. 0.2 miles away); Chief Seattle (approx. 0.2 miles away); Crystal Pool (approx. ¼ mile away); Guiry/Schillestad Buildings (approx. ¼ mile away); In Memory of Joseph Anthony Tudor (approx. 0.3 miles away); Bell Street Bridge (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map

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Additional commentary.
1. Actual origin of this bell
The customary maker's inscription on the waist of this bell shows that it was sold by the L.M. Rumsey Manufacturing Company of Saint Louis in 1887. However, it was actually made for Rumsey by the McShane bellfoundry of Baltimore, on what we would now call a private label basis.

— Submitted August 26, 2020, by Carl Scott Zimmerman of Kirkwood, Missouri.

Fire Bell No. 4 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, December 25, 2025

2. Fire Bell No. 4

Photographed by Craig Baker, December 25, 2025

3. Fire Bell No. 4 Marker

In front of Fire Station No. 2

Credits. This page was last revised on December 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 19, 2016, by Abigail of Someplace, Europe. This page has been viewed 620 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 19, 2016, by Abigail of Someplace, Europe. 2, 3. submitted on December 26, 2025, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.