Pocasset Firehouse No. 7
Why it's listed
Pocasset Firehouse No. 7 is a two-story red brick building with granite trim at 1058 Pleasant Street in Fall River. Completed in 1873 as an engine house for the city, it was designed by the firm Hartwell & Swazey, with Stewart, Snow & Fass as contractors. Details include round arched windows with voussoirs, a hipped roof dormer and an elaborate cornice. An extension on the west side was added in the 1890s to house a hook and ladder truck, and part of the building was later used as a police station. It is one of four Ruskinian Gothic fire stations the architects designed in 1873, all of which survive. Placed in several parts of the city in anticipation of the Fall River Water-Works, they were regarded as the most modern fire-fighting stations of their day. Ruskinian Gothic was the favored style for Fall River public buildings around 1873 to 1880, and this station remains an intact example from the city's most prosperous era. It still serves as a firehouse and police sub-station.
Significance in brief: It is one of four Ruskinian Gothic brick and granite fire stations designed by Hartwell & Swazey in 1873, all still standing. The stations were built in anticipation of the Fall River Water-Works and were considered the most modern of their period. It is an intact, richly detailed example of the quality of public buildings erected in Fall River's period of greatest prosperity.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83000706, listed February 16, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1058 Pleasant St., Fall River |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 16, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000706 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Hartwell & Swazey (architects); Stewart, Snow & Fass (contractors) |
| Architectural style | High Victorian; Ruskinian Gothic |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use listed as firehouse and police sub-station; owned by the City of Fall River. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 41.69447, -71.13823 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83000706.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7206285
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.