The History of 914 Elm Street
914 Elm Street is a building immersed in the strength, character, and sacrifice of generations past. Established as the headquarters of the Underwriters' Salvage Corps of Cincinnati in 1925, the Firehouse on Elm has been home to hundreds of people who embodied a life of service for their fellow men and women.
As the first city in the United States with a paid fire department, Cincinnati has a storied history when it comes to conservation. Central to this history is the Underwriters' Salvage Corps. This group of men were dedicated to conserve and protect the lives and cherished possessions of their community. By working hand in hand with the local fire department, the men of the Salvage Corps would regularly risk their lives to ensure that whatever could be saved, would be saved.
While the responsibilities of the Underwriters' Salvage Corps were eventually absorbed by the Cincinnati Fire Department in 1959, the decades of service provided by these men played an essential role in shaping Cincinnati into what it is today. This is the legacy of 914 Elm Street.
What Was the Underwriters' Salvage Corps?
The background and recognition of the Cincinnati fire department is well documented, but not much is known about the Underwriters' Salvage Corps. The Underwriters' Salvage Corps was tasked with the responsibility to save and protect a structure's contents in the event of a fire.
While the operations of the Underwriters' Salvage Corps may be perceived as solely beneficial to the fire-based insurance companies, the value of this organization quickly impacted the community around them. Their role was not only salvage and protection, but sectioning off scenes to protect bystanders, removing intruders, and assisting with firefighting efforts.
The responsibilities of the Corps quickly extended beyond protection from financial loss: generational pass-downs were preserved, damage to personal homes and property was mitigated, and lives were saved.With thousands of members during its’ tenure, the Underwriters' Salvage Corp embraced a culture of service towards their community. Their actions, though long-forgotten, left an immeasurable mark on the legacy of Cincinnati.
