New Bedford Fire Museum

Last updated

New Bedford Fire Museum
New Bedford Fire Museum.jpg
The New Bedford Fire Museum, formerly Fire Station No. 4
New Bedford Fire Museum
Established1976 (1976)
Location51 Bedford St., New Bedford, MA, United States
TypeFirefighting museum
Website http://www.newbedford-ma.gov/fire/museum.html
Fire Station No. 4
USA Massachusetts location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Coordinates 41°37′41″N70°55′38″W / 41.62806°N 70.92722°W / 41.62806; -70.92722
Area0.1 acres (0.040 ha)
Built1867 (1867)
Architectural styleItalianate
Part of County Street Historic District (ID76000229)
NRHP reference No. 75000250 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 24, 1975
Designated CPAugust 11, 1976

The New Bedford Fire Museum is a local history museum at 51 Bedford Street in New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States. It is located in the 1867 Fire Station No. 4, the city's oldest surviving fire station. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. [1] The museum is open between July 4 and Labor Day. It houses a collection of firefighting equipment and memorabilia related to the history of firefighting in the city.

Contents

Architecture and building history

The New Bedford Fire Museum is located south of downtown New Bedford, at the northwest corner of South 6th and Bedford Streets. The former fire station it is located in is a two-story brick building, constructed in 1867 and enlarged in the 1880s. Its most prominent feature is the hose tower, which has bricked-over rounded-arch openings and a hip roof with a flared eave and corbelled brick cornice. The original portion of the station has two equipment bays, with paneled doors and granite frame. The enlargement, to the left of the main block, also has two bays on either side of a pedestrian door. The building was originally designed for horse-drawn fire equipment, its lower level including stable space, and the upper level used in part as a hay loft. [2]

The station's first foreman was A.M. Howland Jr., who later served as mayor of New Bedford, and it was manned by a volunteer force. The station was named in honor of Cornelius Howland, one of the city's leading merchants. The addition originally housed the fire department repair shop. In 1913, the volunteer force was replaced by paid staff, and the hay lofts were converted into living space. [2]

The station was one of the oldest continuously operating fire stations in the state when it was closed in 1979. [3] In 1975 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Fire Station No. 4. The museum was opened the following year. [4]

Museum collection

The museum has a collection of old firefighting equipment and some old fire engines. Among them is the original 1867 Cornelius Howland hand pumper, which saw active service in this station until 1884. It also includes log books from the station's operations between 1867 and 1913. [2] Visitors can try on old uniforms and slide down the pole. [3] Old city fire records dating to 1890 are available for research and review. [5] Retired and active city firefighters act as docents.

Rain damage to the station's roof [4] required the closing and renovation of the museum's second story. It reopened in July 2008. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volunteer fire department</span> Fire department composed of volunteers

A volunteer fire department (VFD) is a fire department of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction. Volunteer and retained (on-call) firefighters are expected to be on call to respond to emergency calls for long periods of time, and are summoned to the fire station when their services are needed. They are also expected to attend other non-emergency duties as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fireman's pole</span> Pole that firefighters slide down to reach ground level

A fireman's pole is a pole that firefighters slide down to quickly reach the ground floor of a fire station. This allows them to respond to an emergency call faster, as they arrive at the fire engine faster than by using a standard staircase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherrydale Volunteer Fire House</span> Historic fire station in Virginia, United States

The Cherrydale Volunteer Fire House is home to the Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department in the Cherrydale neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia. Constructed in 1919, it has been a focal point for community attention ever since. The building served as Arlington County Fire Station #3 until a new station opened nearby in July 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunker gear</span> Personal protective equipment used by firefighters

Bunker gear is the personal protective equipment (PPE) used by firefighters. The term is derived from the fact that the trousers and boots are traditionally kept by the firefighters bunk at the fire station to be readily available for use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O. H. Booth Hose Company</span> United States historic place

The O.H. Booth Hose Company is a former firehouse along Main Street in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. It was in use for roughly a century, from the late 1910s to the mid-2000s, when the city's police and fire departments consolidated their operations in a new building across the street. A local firefighters' group has proposed turning it into a local fire museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial</span> United States historic place

The Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial is located at Old Engine Co. No. 27, also known as Fire Station No. 27, on Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood. The museum houses old fire engines and fire apparatus, some dating from the 1880s. The museum also houses a reference library and fire safety learning center. The building was named a Los Angeles Cultural-Heritage Monument in 1976 and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. The Fallen Firefighters Memorial in front of the station consists of a memorial wall listing all of the Los Angeles firefighters who have died in the line of duty and five life-size statues of firefighters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Engine House No. 11 (Detroit)</span> United States historic place

The Engine House No. 11 is a fire station located at 2737 Gratiot Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It is the oldest remaining firehouse in the city of Detroit; it was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1975 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver Firefighters Museum</span> United States historic place

The Denver Firefighters Museum is a museum in downtown Denver, Colorado, United States. A nonprofit institution 501 (C) (3), it consists of an 11,000-square-foot (1,000 m2) facility housing four galleries that explore the history of firefighting in Denver. Established in 1978, it is located in the 1909-built former Fire Station No. 1, a building that is a Denver Landmark and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloomingdale Firehouse</span> United States historic place

Bloomingdale Firehouse, also known as the Brown Square Station, is a historic former firehouse at 267 Plantation Street/676 Franklin Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. Formerly home to the Worcester Fire Department's Engine Company 6, the building was built in 1895–96. It is a well-preserved example of Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styling. The building served as a firehouse until 2008, when it was replaced by a new station, located at 266 Franklin Street, the site of the well-known Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It has been converted into a private residence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrian Engine House No. 1</span> United States historic place

The Adrian Engine House No. 1 is a historic fire station located at 126 East Church Street in downtown Adrian, Michigan. It was designated as a Michigan Historic Site and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 21, 1989. It is located within the Downtown Adrian Commercial Historic District and next to the Lenawee County Historical Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hook and Ladder No. 4</span> United States historic place

Hook and Ladder No. 4, originally Truck No. 4, is a firehouse located at Delaware Avenue in Albany, New York, United States. It is an elaborate brick structure in the Dutch Colonial Revival architectural style, designed by Albany architect Marcus T. Reynolds, and completed in 1912. In 2001 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire Barn 5 (Elgin, Illinois)</span> United States historic place

Fire Barn 5 or Fire Station 5 is a historic building in Elgin, Illinois. It was the fifth official fire barn in Elgin, originally housing horses and a fire fighting carriage. Over the years, the carriage was replaced by automobiles. The building is an example of Classical Revival architecture and operated as a fire station until 1991, the year it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It now functions as the Elgin Fire Barn No. 5 Museum, a museum of firefighting history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hose Station No. 1</span> United States historic place

The Hose Station No. 1 is a historic building located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 1999. In 2019 it was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Motor Row and Industrial Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Fire Station (Davenport, Iowa)</span> United States historic place

The Central Fire Station is located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States and serves as the headquarters of the Davenport Fire Department, as well as the downtown fire station. Built from 1901 to 1902, the original building is the oldest active fire station west of the Mississippi River. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. In 2020 it was included as a contributing property in the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hose Station No. 7</span> United States historic place

The Hose Station No. 7 is located along a busy thoroughfare in a light industrial area of the west end of Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hose Station No. 4</span> United States historic place

Hose Station No. 4 is located in the Village of East Davenport in Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is a contributing property of the Davenport Village Historic District that has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980. The fire station was individually listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 1993. It is one of two old fire stations on the east side of the city that are still in existence. The other one is Hose Station No. 3. The building sits adjacent to Lindsay Park and now houses the International Fire Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Fire Museum</span>

The Houston Fire Museum, also known as the Fire Museum of Houston, is located in the Midtown District of Houston, Texas. The museum contains interactive exhibits and displays featuring antique and modern firefighting paraphernalia. The museum also educates its visitors in fire safety and prevention and is considered to be one of the finest centers of its kind in Texas. The museum's building, which was originally home to the Houston Fire Department's Fire Station No. 7, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buford Tower</span> Historic structure in Austin, Texas

Buford Tower is a tower standing along the north shore of Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin, Texas. The structure was originally built in 1930 as a drill tower for the Austin Fire Department, but it now serves as a bell tower and landmark. Named after fire department Captain James L. Buford, the structure has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Oak Firehouse and City Jail</span> United States historic place

The Red Oak Firehouse and City Jail is a historic building located in Red Oak, Iowa, United States. The Red Oak Fire Company was formed in 1876 and a shed was built to house its equipment. The present Late Victorian style brick structure was built by the city in five stages. A two-story firehouse, which housed the hand-drawn fire carts and other firefighting equipment, was completed in January 1898. The two-story City Jail was architecturally integrated into the original structure in 1901. It was operated by the city marshal to house those who broke municipal ordinances, and to provide a bed and a meal to those who were homeless. Another two-story addition was completed in 1907. It was a stable to house the horses that pulled the new firefighting equipment, which was housed in another addition that was built at the same time on the south side of the structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Ohio Fire Museum</span> Fire museum in Columbus, Ohio

The Central Ohio Fire Museum is a firefighting museum in Downtown Columbus, Ohio, housed in the former Engine House No. 16 of the Columbus Fire Department, built in 1908. It was listed on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties in 1983 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "MACRIS inventory record for Fire Station No. 4". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Santos, Rick (2002). "New Bedford Fire Museum". New Bedford Area Visitor Guide. rixsan.com. Retrieved July 15, 2008.
  4. 1 2 Corey, William (August 5, 1998). "Rain, rain go away: Fire Museum crumbles under leaking roof". The Standard-Times . Ottaway Community Newspapers . Retrieved July 15, 2008. Since its opening 22 years ago, Mr. Roy and a volunteer committee of 12 have been the custodians of the museum housed in a former fire station at Bedford and Sixth streets.
  5. "Museums in Massachusetts". firefightinghelicopter.com. 2007. Retrieved July 15, 2008.
  6. "The New Bedford Fire Museum will be reopening for the summer season on July 7, 2008". Local 841 bulletin board. International Association of Firefighters Local 841. June 17, 2008. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2008.