Originally constructed in 1915, the Engine Company #15 Firehouse was a working fire station located at 3011 Meadowbridge Road in the once-thriving Highland Park neighborhood in the North District.  Now, as part of the Highland Park Plaza Historic District, the firehouse is designated as a national and state historic structure and is described as a “rare example of craftsman architecture in a public building.”

In 2004, Boaz & Ruth was selected as one of four non-profits in Richmond to receive an Alcoa Foundation award for the Fire House 15 project.  The award provided consulting and training from the Nonprofit Enterprise Institute (NEI), the National Center on Nonprofit Enterprise (NCNE), and the VCU business school to assist in the design, development and business plan for the project.

In June, 2006, the City of Richmond conveyed the property – worth approximately $180,000 at the time – to Boaz & Ruth, to be restored as part of an economic development project.  Collaborating with the Lost Trades School, B&R provided specialized restoration work, training students in traditional methods and materials to restore/repair brick and stone, doors and windows, stucco and plaster, in an effort to restore the building's original architecture and character.

The rehabilitated property is now known as Fire House 15 ~ Shops & Restaurant and serves as a commercial incubator for small business entrepreneurs, providing new retail and dining opportunities as well as a venue for community events.   B&R’s prisoner re-entry trainees have been involved in every phase of planning, development, construction and management.

The Fire House 15 project seeks to be a catalyst for economic revitalization in Highland Park.  Starting “at home," Fire House 15 provides employment for B&R trainees.  In addition, local residents have developed small businesses and have a place to dine and gather. 

Boaz & Ruth is making a difference in this troubled community and in the lives of individuals needing a second chance.  In three short years, we have filled a formerly crime-ridden block with a busy store and training center, a café, a refinishing workshop and two restored homes.  Fire House 15 is the latest extension of the “force field” of hope that is emerging in Highland Park.