Firefighting Museum of Dutchess County

(Antique Firehouse & Firefighting Museum)

P.O. Box 2435

Poughkeepsie, NY  12601

https://dchsny.org/firemuseum/

https://www.facebook.com/DutchessCountyFirefightingMuseum/

My review on TripAdvisor:

The new home of the Dutchess Firefighting Museum at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds

I recently visited the Dutchess County Fair in August of 2024 and discovered that they finally built the new Firefighting Museum of Dutchess County in the Century Village complex of the fairgrounds. This will only be open when the fairgrounds are open. It replaced the tent display that had been part of the fair since 2022.

The old tent museum that was a temporary display

The Firefighting Museum of Dutchess County (Dutchess County Firefighting Museum) is finally open and houses all the memorabilia and artifacts for fire companies all over Dutchess County. I met fire fighters from companies all over Dutchess County who are dedicated in showing the history of their departments and of fire fighting over the years. The museum had just opened in August 2024 so all the displays have not been mounted yet. They should be ready for future events at the fairgrounds.

The firefighting equipment of the museum visited by many firefighters from the area and their families

The Dutchess County Fairgrounds Management had proposed to build them a new building on the Fair Grounds with the stipulation that it remain open when the fair grounds are being used and closed when they are not being used. It will be part of the Century Museum Village & Collectors Association to include a reproduction of a late 19th Century firehouse and museum of firefighting memorabilia.

Firefighting artifacts at the front of the museum

The Parade Celebration cart with uniform for parades.

Firefighting artifacts at the new museum

The antique firehouse will join the Pleasant Valley Railroad Station, the Mount Ross Schoolhouse, the Washington Hollow Fair Judging Gazebo and the Century Museum.

Dutchess County Firefighters Museum logo

The new museum has an interesting combination of equipment, medals, horns and firefighting objects from the 1800 and 1900’s. It really is an interesting way to see how firefighting from the past relates to today and how much really has not changed. There were three different pieces of equipment on display: an old Ladder Truck from the 1890’s, a pumper from 1902 and an old hose bed that must have been around 1896.

The Pine Plains FD Ladder Truck

The old pumper on display

The handheld hose bed

There were old fire horns used long before traditional fire whistles and modern pagers, firefighting ribbons and awards, old buckets and hoses for moving water and lots of pictures of old fires. The members were explaining to me that they take the objects out at all sorts of town and county functions to promote the museum.

Old Fire Medallions from the old fire insurance days when these were placed on the houses

The roll call of fire fighting in Poughkeepsie, NY

The Gamewell Fire Alarm System

History of the Dutchess County Firefighting Museum:

(from the museum pamphlet)

The Dutchess County Agricultural Society Inc. (DCAS) and the Century Museum Village & Collectors Association will be growing The Antique Village, located on the Dutchess County Fairgrounds which will include a reproduction of a late 19th Century Firehouse and museum of Firefighting memorabilia.

Firehouse artifacts in the museum

The Antique Firehouse will join the Pleasant Valley Railroad Station, the Mt. Ross Schoolhouse, Washington Hollow Fair Judging Gazebo and the Century Museum.

This grouping of special buildings on the Fairgrounds has been dedicated to preserving life in the late 1800’s in Dutchess County and sharing it with the over 500,000 visitors to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds over the course of the year.

The awards of the fire service from the old museum that will be displayed at the new museum soon

The Firehouse Project Research and artifact collection is underway, and the Fairgrounds is committed to adding to Dutchess County’s Fire Service history.

The project cost is $300,000 and was raised from funds all over Dutchess County, NY. This year’s fair the association was proud to open this museum as part of the Century Village on the fairgrounds.

The history of the Dutchess County Fire Service on video.

Special Firefighting “Coins” have been minted commemorating different fire stations, historic Dutchess County firefighting events and the dream of the Antique Fire Station and Museum. You can be a part of this exciting project by purchasing coins or making a tax-deductible donation.

The fire truck in front of the museum at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds

Disclaimer: This information is taken directly from the Antique Firehouse & Firefighting Museum of the Dutchess County Fair Grounds, and I give them full credit for it. The above picture is of the original proposed design for the museum and will be changed once the new building is built.

The new museum will house many more exhibitions in the future