In 1976 a young artist named Ellery Eddy responded to a Call to Artists put out by the Cambridge Arts Council for a competition involving local artists in the cultural enrichment of their communities. Eddy was awarded the commission to execute a large mural on the exposed west wall of the Inman Square Firehouse.
The result is a three times life-size portrait of all members of Engine Company No. 5 in firefighting gear, along with the company dalmatian, posed around one of their pump trucks. Also included in the scene are two volunteer firemen straight out of history. Benjamin Franklin, who founded the first volunteer fire department in the country, stands on the running board in a pair of red sneakers. George Washington, who resided in Cambridge during the Siege of Boston, is holding a couple of pails. Eddy left the natural brick surrounding the mural exposed, in tribute to the handsome, Italian-style firehouse.
Commissioned through the Cambridge Arts Council's Public Art Program with funding from the U.S. Comprehensive Employment and Training Act.
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