The Eagle Steamer House
The brick Steamer House on Water Street recalls a turning point in Exeter’s firefighting history. Its broad arched entrances, tall upper windows and small rooftop tower distinguish it from neighboring commercial buildings. Behind those entrances once stood equipment purchased to give firefighters greater power against the fires threatening downtown.
In 1873, Exeter purchased a steam fire engine from Manchester’s Amoskeag Company for $4,400. Named the Eagle, it replaced reliance on labor-intensive hand pumps. Horses hired from a local livery stable pulled the heavy apparatus, which initially occupied temporary quarters on Clifford Street.
Providing a permanent home proved contentious. Taxpayers rejected an additional appropriation during the financial uncertainty of 1873. A compromise followed in September 1874: the town would sell its Clifford Street property and help finance a brick engine house on Water Street, using land leased from the Exeter Manufacturing Company. Construction began within weeks.
The building also served the firefighters themselves. By 1894, its upstairs hall offered comfortable furnishings and a pool table for members of the Eagle Steamer company and their guests. The station combined emergency service with fellowship.
The Eagle answered its final fire in 1928. Sold for commercial use in 1950, the building later underwent restoration that revealed its former engine entrances. Its survival preserves a recognizable link to the horses, steam machinery and firefighters that once protected Exeter.
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