The FASNY Museum of Firefighting at 117 Harry Howard Avenue
The FASNY Museum of Fire Fighting is America’s interactive museum of firefighting. It is also the home of the premiere collection of American firefighting objects in the world.
When I visited the museum recently, I found that the museum is not just a treasure trove of information and artifacts but an extensive study on modern firefighting from its creation in the time of the Romans and Greeks, the beginnings of the fire service in America lead by people like Peter Stuyvesant and Benjamin Franklin. These men brought their ideas and innovations by working alongside people doing the work and the modernization of equipment that makes the modern firefighter both safer and smarter.
The progression of the equipment and the way it is used has not changed much but the way we use it, and its design has changed from the days of the bucket brigades to the horse drawn carriages to the modern automobile. The job has not changed as we put the fire out and try to save lives and property.
There is so much to see and do at the museum and for a firefighter, a very humbling experience in that we continue to learn on the job and learn the changes in the fire service around us. This is one of the most extensive museums of firefighting that I have ever seen. The exhibitions are very detailed and easy to follow with lots of interesting artifacts. It is a perfect place for a family to visit.
A ladder truck from the early 20th Century
Ladder Truck from Rye, NY that was part of the Bush family history.
The massive museum has over 60 fire engines on exhibit, as well as numerous examples of firefighting gear, equipment and art depicting the heroic history of firefighting in America.
Early 20th Century Steam Engine
The main equipment room with all sorts of trucks and engines spanning over 100 years
Activities for families include the popular bucket brigade activity, the amazing Jr. Firefighter Challenge course, the incredible first responder virtual ride to the fire experience and the Cabot/McCadam Fire Safety Discovery Room (FASNY Website).
Turn of the Century Bucket Truck
Whether you are a family, a firefighter, an apparatus buff or a student of history, you will be amazed at the depth and variety of the Museum’s vast collection.
Turn of the Century hose beds.
An early steam engine
The 9/11 Exhibit: Remembering the 20th Anniversary:
In partnership with the New York State Museum in Albany, the FASNY Museum of Firefighting is honored to present the exhibit: Touchstone: Remembering the 20th Anniversary of 9-11. The majority of the objects in this exhibit are on loan from the NY State Museum. They were found during the recovery efforts that took place at Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island, when hundreds of NYPD and FBI forensic experts sifted through the debris from the World Trade Center tragedy site, between September 2001 and July 2002 (FASNY website).
The 20th Anniversary of 9/11 on September 11th, 2021
We encourage visitors to compare how they feel today, 20 years after this touchstone moment in our nation’s history, to how they felt on September 11, 2001. We also invite the visitor to remember that not every action taken after 9-11 was heroic.
After 9-11, there were many cases of violence against those who were, or who were perceived to be, Muslims, Sikhs or persons of Arab or South-Asian descent. Through an interactive, we ask visitors to consider this racism and why it occurred (FASNY Museum Website).
The 20th Anniversary of 9/11 on September 11th, 2021
The 9/11 Exhibit will be very emotional for any firefighter and their family whether they experienced it or not. It could be the twist equipment, the pictures depicting that morning and the rescue plans and the artifacts that were used during that time, take your time to really study and appreciate the heroism of that morning.
Then, Now & Always: Firefighting from the Cradle of Rome Through the 1900s
Trace the evolution and development of firefighting from its ancient origins to the modern era of mechanization.
The Dutch Bucket Brigade system of early America
This informative and fascinating exhibit uses objects in the Museum’s collection as historical touchstones. Complemented by interpretive graphic panels and object cards, the exhibit chronicles the progression of organized firefighting and its social and technological implications. Here, you will discover some of the oldest and rarest objects in the Museum’s collection. Adjacent to the exhibit cases are the Museum’s earliest examples of fire apparatus dating as far back as 1731 (FASNY website).
The change of equipment in the early 1900’s to the modern era
Before radio communication became available, we sounded the trumpets.
The museum showed the progression of firefighting and how many aspects of it have changed over the years and how it modernized old ideas. The concept of ‘putting water on the fire’ has progressed in knowing why we should do it, when we should do it and what the effects of it will be when we do it. The equipment being used was the latest technology of the that time.
Forged by Fire: The Life and Legacy of Harry Howard
Who was Harry Howard and why do we consider him the GOAT? This exhibit explores Chief Howard’s life and many accomplishments and explains why we are still talking about him today, 200 years after his birth! (FASNY website).
The “Forged by Fire” exhibition on Harry Howard
Harry Howard was one of the most celebrated firemen of the 19th century. He rose from very humble beginnings to Chief Engineer of the Volunteer Fire Department. His association with the fire department began while a young teen, as a runner for the Peterson Engine Company No.15, located on Christie Street. In 1841 he became a full-fledged member of the company. Later, in 1850, Howard joined Atlantic Hose 14. The following year he was elected Assistant Engineer. He reached the top in 1857 serving as Chief Engineer for three years, with a salary of five thousand dollars a year. Chief Engineer was the highest rank in the NYC’s Volunteer Department in 1857 with many of the same duties as today’s Fire Commissioner. The Chief and his 18 assistants were elected by ballet by the members of the department (NYFD.com website).
At the time of Howard’s leadership this comprised of about 4000 men. One of his major acts as Chief was to establish bunk rooms in all the firehouses in the city. Chief engineer Harry Howard suffered an attack of paralysis on a way to a fire in July 1857. The attack left him permanently disabled and somewhat embittered. It was officially deemed the consequence of severe fire duty. After his retirement from the Volunteer Fire Department, he held an office in the Department of Public Works (NYFD.com website).
I cannot begin to explain how innovative Chief Engineer Howard was in the fire service. Bringing about many safety measures, analyzing the fire service the way he did and work to better the lives of firefighters not just in New York but set a standard in the industry. He brought his experience that he learned on the job and worked to better it so that other firefighters could learn to be better at their jobs.
Ready, Willing & Able: FASNY’s First 150 Years
Did you know that over 90% of all firefighters in New York State are VOLUNTEERS! Did you know that FASNY (the Firefighters Association of New York State) has been the leading voice for volunteer firefighters for over 150 years? Discover more facts about FASNY and the brave firefighters who protect our communities in this fascinating exhibit (FASNY website).
Firefighting in the modern age
The Firefighting Patch Wall display
The experience of exploring this museum is a must for any firefighter or firefighting family.
I enjoy coming up to Germantown to visit the Clermont Mansion at any time of the year especially at Christmas time. I came for a tour of Clermont in the Christmas season of 2019 (pre-COVID) to tour the home. The old mansions of the Hudson River Valley show their real beauty at this time of the year.
The Clermont Library decorated for Christmas
In 2020, the home closed like everything else for COVID and because of extensive renovations on the property and in the home, did not open again until June of 2023. I came up finally in July of 2023 for another tour of the home. The mansion looked very refreshed and bright on a blue, sunny afternoon. The grounds were in full bloom and everything looked so green.
The views of the river when you arrive
Walking around Clermont is like walking through a history book. To think you are walking around the very rooms that family members who wrote the Declaration of Independence, were Governors and Ambassadors from our country and who owned most of Upstate New York lived is really incredible. The Livingston Family did so much for the United States in the formation of this country is a testament to the family.
Once you arrive at the Visitors Center and pay for your tour, you will have time to walk around the exhibition of the history of the family in the old stables. Here you will learn about the family who built and lived in this wonderful home. The family lived here for seven generations and like most families over time when the money depleted, they had to move out. The last daughter of the family, Honoria, sold the estate to the State of New York as a park. The upkeep got to be too much for the family.
The Visitor’s Center display on the family
The family story boards in the old stables
The history of the estate and the Livingston family in the Visitor’s Center
The history of the estate
The tour 2019 was wonderful because of the one on one conversation I had with my tour guide, Molly. It was the same in 2023 when Aaron took me on a one on one tour of the mansion. We started in the entry hallway where the family hang many of the family portraits and the long hall lead to wonderful views of the Hudson River.
The Entrance Hall of Clermont
Just off to the right of the front entrance of the home (the front entrance faces the river not the back entrance where you start the tour) is the Receiving Room. This was the room in 2023 during my summer tour of the house. The Receiving Room is where guests would wait to be welcomed by family members or people would call on the family and leave their calling cards.
The Receiving Room was also used as a Music Room as well
The Receiving Room was decorated for the holidays in 2019 with more beautiful views of the river and a very interesting clock on the mantle that there are only two in the world. This clock represented the first balloon launch in France and this was the clock where the balloon went up. In France was the other clock with the balloon going down. I thought that was pretty interesting.
The Balloon Clock on the mantle decorated for Christmas
Our next stop was the Library which seemed very homey and relaxing. It looked like a room that a family would want to spend their time in after a long day. The windows faced the river and the formal gardens at that time and let in a lot of light. The room was decorated with a elegant tree and looked like the family was ready to walk in and join us for the holidays.
The Library of Clermont
The Office/Library on the first floor
Next it was off to the formal Dining Room where the portraits of Margaret Beekman Livingston (a VERY distant relative of mine by marriage) and her husband, Robert Livingston hung. She had saved these along with the grandfather clock before her first house was burned by the British during the war years. It was set for Christmas lunch when the family would dine together.
The Clermont Dining Room is very elegant at Christmas. This is in 2019 (pre-COVID)
In the summer months, the room was pretty plain with no set up on the table. The Dining Room has just had some renovation work so the walls and ceiling looked really nice.
The Clermont Dining Room in the summer of 2023
The Dining Room portraits
Margaret Beekman Livingston’s Wedding portrait in the Dining Room
Robert Livingston’s Wedding portrait in the Dining Room
We also toured where the food was prepared and prepped from the kitchen to the Dining Room, which was all done in organized fashion. I was told by the tour guide that for the most part the family lived here year round unlike some of the other mansions who only lived here during certain times of the season.
The Kitchen at Clermont
We took a walk upstairs to see the upstairs bedrooms and see where the third Mrs. Livingston lived. I thought it was interesting that she had two beds in her room in which neither was big enough to accommodate her. One was the main bed and the smaller one was a Day bed when she wanted to take a nap but did not want to mess up her main bed.
The last Mrs. Livingston’s bedroom until the 1960’s
We then toured what had been Honoria’s and Alice’s bedroom when they were children and then became the Guest Room. It still looked like a Children’s Room.
The Daughter’s/Guest Bedroom
Then it was back down to the formal hallway for the end of the tour. The one thing I have to say about Clermont is that it looks like someone’s home not some grand mansion like the Mills or Vanderbilt mansions that looked like they for a moment time or only for a season. This family lived here all the time.
The upstairs bathroom was one of the remodeling features
The family lived here until the 1960’s when upkeep of the estate got to be too much for the family and it was sold to the state. The New York Park is now maintained by the New York State Park system.
The Gardens:
The formal gardens were in bloom when I got there that weekend. Since the house opened in June most of the Spring plantings were already gone but the Summer plantings were in full bloom. There were three gardens on the property, two of which had been brought back to nature, the Wilderness Garden and the South Spring Garden and then the Walled Garden was well maintained and planted.
The Wilderness Garden was well-maintained and planted with natural plants
The South Spring Garden
The South Spring Garden has given way to nature
The Walled Garden was the most formal of all the gardens
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
In the Fall, I went back up to Clermont for the Ghost Tour and the foliage was amazing, but the rain knocked a lot of it off. Still the colors were glorious.
Clermont in the Fall of 2023
The formal gardens in the Fall
The formal gardens in the Fall
The gardens in the Fall.
The I toured the rest of the estate and saw the ruins of the other mansion, Arryl, that is on the other side of the parking lot and then saw the ruins of the Old House and the Root Cellar.
The Ice House
The Root Cellar
The flowers by the Root Cellar
View of the Hudson River
The History of Clermont:
The name Clermont derives from “clear mountain” in French and was inspired by the view of the Catskill Mountains across the Hudson River from the estate.
The front of Clermont that faces the Hudson River
The estate was established by Robert Livingston following the death of his father, the first Lord of the Manor was inherited by the eldest son, Philip Livingston, 13,000 acres in the southwest corner later named Clermont was willed to Robert. The original house was built around 1740.
The path leading to the main house
Robert Livingston of Clermont died on June 27, 1775 and the estate passed to his son, Robert, who was known as ‘Judge Livingston’ to distinguish him from his father. Judge Livingston was a member of the New York General Assembly from 1759 to 1768, served as Judge of the admiralty court from 1760 to 1763 and was a delegate to the Stamp Act Congress of 1765. He married Margaret Beekman, daughter of Colonel Henry Beekman. Their son, Robert R. Livingston, later known as “Chancellor”, served on the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Judge Robert died about six months after his father, on December 9, 1775.
Burning and Rebuilding:
In October 1777, British ships sailed upriver from New York City in support of General John Burgoyne who was north of Albany. That same force had already stormed two forts in the Hudson Highlands and burned Kingston, New York. Major General John Vaughan led a raiding party to Clermont and burned Livingston’s home because of the family’s role in the rebellion.
The history of the ‘famous’ Robert’s of Clermont
Margaret Beekman Livingston rebuilt the family home between 1779 and 1782. Robert R. Livingston became the estate’s most prominent resident. Chancellor Livingston administered the oath of office to President General Washington, became Secretary of Foreign Affairs and negotiated the Louisiana Purchase.
Margaret Beekman Livingston
He also partnered with Robert Fulton in 1807 to create the first commercially successful steamboat on the Hudson River, the North River Steamboat (later known as the Clermont) which stopped at the house on its inaugural trip.
Robert Livingston in the famous Gilbert Sullivan painting.
The home’s final Livingston owners were John Henry Livingston and his wife, Alice. They added to the home and greatly valued the homes important historical role. The Livingston’s built second mansion on the property known as Arryl House, which burned down in 1909. The ruins of Arryl House are still visible at the south end of the property.
The burnt ruins of Arryl Mansion on the other side of the property.
The Arryl Mansion in the Fall of 2023
Alice Livingston was responsible for creating many of the landscaped gardens that are continued to this day. Following John Henry’s death, Alice turned the Mansion and property over to the State of New York in 1962 so that all the people of New York could enjoy it.
The landscaping around the old Ice House
The house is now a New York State Historic Site and was designated a United States National Historic landmark in 1972. It is a contributing property to another National Historic Landmark, the Hudson River Historic District. Although locate in the town of Clermont, its mailing address is in the nearby town of Germantown.
The views from the back of Clermont to the Hudson River
(This information is a combination from the Clermont Website and Wiki and I give them full credit for this information. Please check the website above for more information on the site and its activities through their Friends site.)
The Clermont Grounds
The Fall in the Hudson River Valley is one of the most brilliant times to visit and the foliage is so colorful. The constant rain knocked a lot of it down already but all around the house their were still signs of the reds, golds and oranges. I came up for the Ghost Tours which the mansion resumed this year to sold out crowds.
The Clermont Estate in the Fall.
The river front of the estate in the fall.
The Hudson River in all its glory.
The Ghost Tour of the estate:
The Ghost Tour took us on a tour through the house to meet the costumed characters throughout the mansion. The mansion was decorated for the Halloween and with the lights dimmed, it gave the house an eerie appearance to it.
When I arrived at the estate, the house loomed in the distance in its it glories with the golden colors of autumn.
Jack-a Lanterns lined the pathways and lit the way to the house.
We were greeted with fresh Apple Cider Doughnuts and Apple Cider from a local farm in Kingston, NY.
We were also treated to old fashioned Halloween candy with Mary Janes, Tootsie Rolls and other treats.
We started our tour at 7:00pm at twilight with the lanterns lit and the house waiting in the distance.
The hallway was decorated for Halloween.
First we met an embittered Robert Livingston (who over acted)
We stopped in the haunted Living Room to talk to the maid.
We met the ghost of Janet Livingston Montgomery in the Parlor.
Then it was off to the Dining Room to meet the last inhabitant of the house, Janet Livingston.
Margaret Beekman Livingston guarding the Dining Room.
On the way to the kitchen, we met Captain Kidd, the Livingston children and the last owners of the house on the way out the back door to end the tour. The whole tour took less than an hour.
We exited the house through the kitchen and out the door to a moon lit night with jack-a-lanterns taking us back to the Visitors Center. The night had fallen in the early evening at the mansion as we were the second to last tour of the evening and the moon had come out giving the sky a ominous and spooky look about it.
I visited again for the Christmas Open House in early December to see the decorations. I had not been there since 2018 and wanted to see how things had changed for the winter months. Everything was decked out for Christmas. The rooms were decorated but not in an over the top way as some of the other Hudson River homes.
The Clermont Estate at Christmas time.
The Clermont Estate at Christmas time.
The Front porch at Christmas time.
The Christmas tree on the porch.
Even the logs on the porch were decorated for the holidays.
The entrance foyer from the stairs.
Upon entering the front door, you could see the beauty and simplicity of the Christmas holidays in the early 1800’s before Victorian traditions took over and the house was overdone with decorations. Garland, Holly and simple pine trees adorned the rooms and welcomed everyone to the Christmas Holiday Open House sponsored by the Friends of Clermont. The home was nicely decorated for the holidays circa 1840’s.
Entering the Front Door at Clermont at Christmas.
The wreath was beautiful on the door.
Livingston Painting in the foyer
The Sugar Spun Clermont Sculpture.
Painting in the Foyer of Robert Livingston
Portrait of Margaret Livingston in the Foyer.
The holiday display.
The Office of Clermont
The Table Top tree in the Office.
The Library was set for Christmas morning with a large tree, homemade presents from the family and a morning of Christmas cheer. The views from the windows would have shown the beautiful views of the river.
The Library at Clermont
The Clermont Library at Christmas time.
The Christmas tree in the library.
The Library decorations.
Library decorations.
The Living Room was set for Afternoon Tea and for greeting guests who would have entered through the front door right off the main hallway.
The Living Room decorated for Christmas.
The Living Room was set for Afternoon Tea.
The portrait of Robert Livingston in the Living Room.
The portraits of Alida and Robert Livingston.
The Dining Room was not set for dinner but in anticipation of the holidays. The elegant runners, china, crystal and silver were off to the side awaiting the servants to set the table and prepare for Christmas dinner.
The Dining Room decorated for the holidays.
Holiday display in the Dining Room.
The Wedding Painting of Margaret Beekman Livingston in the Dining Room.
The family’s private bedrooms were decorated with garland and a small tree in the foyer.
Heading to the Second Floor of Clermont.
The view of the foyer from the upstairs.
The Livingston girls Bedroom.
The Livingston girl’s doll adorns the room.
The Christmas tree in the upstairs Foyer outside the bedrooms.
The Gingerbread House display in the Foyer.
When touring the kitchen which is located to the side of the house, the counters and tables were filled with all the delicious foods that would have been served at Christmas. Roasts, Trifles, Cakes and Pies would have been served by the staff for holiday get togethers and dinners at the mansion.
The Kitchen staff preparing the family’s Christmas dinner feast.
Preparations for Christmas dinner for the family.
Preparing Christmas dinner in the kitchen at Clermont.
After the Christmas Open House tour was over, the Friends sponsored Marshmallow roasting on the front lawn of the mansion and refreshments and talks up at the Visitors Center.
Roasting Marshmallows over the firepit on the mansion’s grounds after the walking tour of the mansion.
Christmas cookies, Apple Cider and Classic Candies in the Visitors Center ended the tour and the Open House for the day.
After the tour was over, I toured the gardens, which were dormant at the time and the grounds along the Hudson River. The views were just amazing and the gardens awaited the coming of the Spring when flowers would be blooming again.
Both the Open Houses at Halloween and at Christmas are a lot of fun and very special at Clermont. The Friends of Clermont do a nice job depicting the holidays and how the family would have celebrated them.
In the Summer of 2024, I took a special Garden Tour of the Livingston Gardens. A new Lead Gardener had been hired by the State of New York and she was starting to renovate the gardens. So we took a tour of the four gardens near the mansion. While we toured the estate grounds, we visited the South Spring Garden, the Walled Garden, the Children’s Garden and the Cutting Garden to see how they were progressing. The staff here is doing a good job bringing these gardens back to life to how Alice Livingston envisioned them.
The first was the South Spring Garden which is closest the house. This was built when the stairs to the side of the home were built and one of Alice Livingston’s first gardens.
The South Spring Garden sign
The South Spring Garden in Summer 2023
The South Spring Garden being cleaned up in Summer 2024
The grown in wall of the South Spring Garden
The Root Cellar sign
The Root Cellar remains by the South Spring Gardens
The flowers in the South Spring Gardens
The sign for the Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden
The Walled Garden Statuary
The Walled Garden
Then we visited the Wilderness Gardens that were just beyond these and they also had been brought back to life by the gardeners. This was to be a transition from the formal gardens to the woods.
The Wilderness Gardens:
The Wilderness Gardens sign
The Wilderness Gardens
The Wilderness Gardens
The we visited the Children’s Garden and the Cutting Gardens which were the newest gardens on the estate. The Children’s Garden playhouse had just been renovated and the beds had been replanted.
The Children’s Garden with the Children’s playhouse
The Children’s Garden from the entrance
The Children’s Garden Garden
The Children’s Garden
The Cutting Gardens were created so that Alice Livingston could grow the types of flowers that would decorate the house at various points in the season. These gardens have been brought back to their original purpose and the flowers and assortments that have been planted are colorful and the fragrances are so nice. On a beautiful day, walking amongst the beds is so nice and relaxing.
The Cutting Garden
The Cutting Garden
The Cutting Garden
The Cutting Garden trellis
The bridge between the Walled Gardens and the Children’s and Cutting Gardens
The Gardens Tour was very informative. Alice Livingston’s love of flowers and how they accented the house were her pride and joy. The Cutting Garden were all the flowers that she used to decorate the house with and the Children’s Gardens taught her daughters responsibilities and knowledge of horticulture.
The biggest problem in recent years is how to maintain all these gardens. This takes a lot of effort and work to weed. plant and prune these beds and make them look nice. The new gardener hired by the State and her team of two staff and volunteers are doing a nice job cleaning out the old beds and replanting and pruning all the plants and bushes that were already there. You can tell by the pictures there is a lot more to do but the gardens are on their way back to their original look.
After touring the mansion at Christmas time in December 2023, I visited Downtown Germantown, which itself was decorated for the both holidays.
Downtown Germantown, NY decorated for the Christmas holidays.
Downtown Germantown during the Christmas holidays.
Downtown Germantown at the Christmas holidays.
Downtown Germantown for the Christmas holidays and church service.
After the tour in July 2024 for the Summer Garden tour, I revisited Germantown again to see what it was like during the summer months. It is a very active and historical downtown with nice restaurants and shops, a wonderful gourmet grocery store and beautiful historical churches. It is a nice place to spend the weekend when touring the mansions in Columbia and Duchess Counties.
Germantown in the Summer of 2024:
Downtown Germantown, NY in the summer
The town square and historical sign
The Inn downtown
The restaurant row of Germantown with Gaskin’s in the background
The Reformed Church of Germantown. For some reason the clouds started to roll in after a sunny day.
The church grounds across the street
Germantown is a small town that keeps changing as more people from the City move up to the Hudson River Valley. A lot of the buildings in town are becoming art galleries, furniture shops and new restaurants. With each season, there are more changes coming to the town.
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
Located inside the Boonton New Jersey Firemen’s Home, The New Jersey Firemen’s Museum is an 8000 square feet, two story museum that houses steamers, ornate hose carts and antique fire trucks from all eras.
The museum was established in May of 1985 and is home to many fire department in New Jersey’s memorabilia. It seems like everyone fire department in the State of New Jersey is represented here with old fire department pictures, patches from the fire companies, fire trucks from all eras and pictures of department fires from all over the state.
Filling the cases is antique fire equipment, badges from officers in many departments, figurines of fire equipment and ribbons from conventions of the past. There are old fire buckets from the beginnings of the fire service, horns to sound the alarms from the turn of the last century and helmets that retired chiefs from many departments donated with much honor.
Many companies donated their department pictures from fires of their past that were fought with much bravery. People forget that this job is very dangerous and we have to watch ourselves in every step.
The fire trucks are from every era from the carts that were dragged by hand to horse drawn engines to the original steam engines that were introduced with the advent of technology. All of the equipment has been carefully restored and shined to almost new. Much care has been taken to show the transition of the fire service over the years.
The tours are on your own and the admission is free. You don’t have to be a fire fighter or visiting a resident here to visit the museum. If you are a serious fire buff or have children that are really into fire fighting or being a fireman, this museum will give you all sorts of perspectives on the fire service and its development not just in New Jersey but all over the county as well.
Don’t miss the memorial to the victims of 9/11 off to the side. It is very touching and shows the support of the fire service to the members of the FDNY and their families.
9/11 is still fresh in all our minds
It is a nice afternoon out. The museum is free to the public. These pictures are just a glimpse of the collection of the NJ Firemen’s Home Museum. It is two floors of donated equipment, memorabilia, awards, dedications and department antiques that are so well preserved. If you love the history of firefighting, this is the museum for you.
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 