The Central Hose House is the largest of the Idaho Springs’ hose houses. Built in 1878, it served not only as the home for the city’s first hook and ladder cart, but as a meeting place for the firemen from all the city’s independent hose companies, as well as for other social functions. When the fire department was reorganized in 1920 and the independent hose companies consolidated, the Central Hose House remained the heart of the city’s firefighting efforts. When the fire department relocated to the “new” firehouse at 2000 Colorado Boulevard in the 1960s, the hose house no longer served any direct firefighting purpose and was used as the city’s maintenance building. Eventually, the building’s use was given to the fire department for storage. Funds from the Colorado State Historic Fund and donations were acquired by the Historical Society of Idaho Springs for the complete restoration of the building. The restoration was completed in 2010.
Built in the 1880s of locally-produced brick, the Bryan Hose House held the second hose cart in the Idaho Springs inventory. The Bryan Hose House was manned by independent Hose Company No. 2. The hose house has been used as storage for the local fire department. In 2004, the City of Idaho Springs obtained emergency funds from the Colorado State Historical Fund for stabilization of the rear wall. Major restoration of the brick work and roof was undertaken in 2012.
This smallest of the Idaho Springs hose houses was built in the 1880’s out of locally-produced brick with the purpose of housing the third hose cart in the city. When the fire department was reorganized in 1920 and the independent hose companies consolidated, the hose house was no longer needed as an integral part of the Idaho Springs fire protection system.