438 Massachusetts Ave, NW
A farewell note from the folks at Present Company Public House:
“To our wonderful community,
We’ve been putting this off for a long time – maybe longer than we should have – because it’s a difficult reality to confront. And because it’s been a rough several years for the DC restaurant and bar scene, and it’s sad to chalk up another tally on the wrong side of the board. But it’s time to say goodbye.
Present Company Public House will be closing to the public on May 31st.
It’s been a challenging ride,
opening right into the Covid lockdowns and slogging through everything that came with and after it: huge increases in operating costs, changes in people’s “going out” habits, and the obvious increase in “For Lease” signs all around our location.
But as we traveled through the thick of it, a beautiful thing happened. No matter the obstacles, our staff and regulars helped us build a culture of positivity, brave persistence, and eventually, one of family. We learned, grew, and had fun together – an unlikely, patchwork group of beautiful people from all walks, in true DC fashion. The place was always about being together – your Present Company. That’s what happened, and that’s what makes this so hard. But we’ll always be proud of the community that existed for a time around this place, and we will miss you all.
Lastly, we hope you’ll come out to enjoy the bar while our doors are still open, and support the staff who have made it so special.
See you on the other side of the bar,
Team PC”
Some cool historic shots:
About 438 Massachusetts Avenue- DC’s Oldest Firehouse
DC Inventory: April 29, 1975
National Register: September 5, 1975
(info from https://historicsites.dcpreservation.org/)
Old Engine Company No. 6 served as the first firehouse of the Metropolitan Hook and Ladder Company in Washington, DC. Built in 1862, the firehouse accommodated horses with heavy equipment. Old Engine Company No. 6 also responded to some of the city’s earliest historic conflagrations, such as the Smithsonian Institution Castle (1865) and the U.S. Patent Office (1877).
This firehouse reflects the professionalization of firefighters in DC. Since firehouses were private volunteer companies, local government hoped to quell rivalries between the forces. By an 1864 DC government act, the DC Fire Department consolidated stations to organize paid fire departments, transitioning from a volunteer force to a modern professional one. However, the DC Fire Department still had some volunteer staff.
Old Engine Company No. 6 occupied the building for 95 years before its decommission in 1974; until that point, it was the oldest operating firehouse in DC. In 2012, the location reopened as the Sixth Engine Restaurant. The owners sold the restaurant in 2019 when it then became Present Company Public House. “PC”, as regulars like to call it, still has the same neighborhood-friendly vibe, serving craft beer, cocktails and gastropub fare. The upstairs is used as a beautiful event space where you can still see the spot in which the old fire pole was located!
