From the narrow, multi-storied buildings found in bustling cities to the ornate structures that serve small towns across North America, firehouses are architectural testaments to the respect and admiration we show our firefighters. Always designed with function first in mind, a great many firehouses are also beautiful reflections of the stylistic trends dominant at the time of their construction. This beautiful volume offers a tour of vintage firehouses throughout North America, from Western cabin-style examples to impressive Greek Revival edifices, and celebrates the place that firefighters have always held in community life.-- Includes a history of firefighting and traces the development of firehouses, from the bucket brigades of the 1700s to the steam engine-era of the post-Civil War through the introduction of motorized trucks and beyond-- Features informative sidebars on various aspects of firehouse design and firefighting history, including topics like African-American fire companies and the role of horses and how they were housed-- Celebrates the restoration and preservation of vintage firehouses, many of which have been transformed into fire department museums, offices, and even restaurants and hotels