Except for the loss of its hose-drying tower, it looks much the same now as it did the day in 1904 that Engine Co. No. 3 moved in from a station on Main Street. A ladder company was soon added, and both companies were horse-drawn. In fact, vehicles from this station at the northwest corner of Alder Street and Terry Avenue were never motorized.

Jim Stevenson's 1972 book, "Seattle Firehouses of the Horse Drawn and Early Motor Era," seems to be the first printed source for the status of Firehouse No. 3 as oldest survivor and only for horses. On pages facing ink sketches drawn by his own hand, Stevenson has written lovingly detailed captions for his subjects. About Firehouse No. 3 he writes in part, "Today, one can go inside and see the old stall doors and stables where the horses were kept. Also remaining are the steel rails embedded in the brick floor of each bay on which the apparatus were parked. The firemen kept these rails well greased, allowing the horse an easier and faster start when the bell hit."

Stevenson concludes by noting that No. 3 "was recently placed on the National Register of Historic Sites." Larry Kreisman, program director at Historic Seattle, concludes his description of Firehouse No. 3 in his book "Made to Last" by noting how well it originally fit First Hill. "Set back from the street and with its landscaped lawn, the building respected its residential neighbors with an appropriately residential character."

Paul Dorpat specializes in historical photography and has published several books on early Seattle.