Franklin Hose Company No. 28
Also known as: Harmony Engine Company No. 6
Why it's listed
A four-story brick firehouse with granite ashlar facing and a full mansard roof stands at 730-32 South Broad Street in Philadelphia. It was erected around 1849 by the Franklin Hose Company, which moved there that year after first operating on South Street from 1838. In 1867 the Franklin Company acquired the charter of the older Harmony Fire Company, took its name, and remodeled the building, including a new facade, in 1867-68. The ground floor has four arched openings divided by granite pilasters, with a semihexagonal bay projecting at the second story. The Harmony Fire Company was founded in 1784, and volunteer companies like it were replaced by a municipal fire department in 1871. The building is significant as one of the few surviving reminders of that volunteer fire protection tradition in the city.
Significance in brief: The building is argued to be one of the few surviving monuments in Philadelphia to the city's volunteer fire protection tradition. It housed the Franklin Hose Company, which merged with the older Harmony Fire Company, and it is described as the last such firehouse built before the municipal fire department was created in 1871.
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 80003604, listed December 3, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 730-732 S. Broad St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 3, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003604 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1849-1868 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as deteriorated but structurally sound, with upper floor openings sealed. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.94198, -75.16619 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 80003604.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5491583
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.