The Fireman's Museum
WHAT: RMGA MEMBERSHIP MEETING ---- Denver Firefighters Museum
WHEN: June 8, 2015, 6:00-6:45pm networking, 6:45-7:00 – short business meeting on the second floor of the museum. 7:00 -8:00– history and tour of the museum.
WHERE: 1326 Tremont Place, Denver, CO 80204.PROGRAM: Winifred Ferrill, Executive Director and Chief Curator will speak abut the history of the Museum and give us a tour of the building. RMGA has never visited this museum for a program before!!
Guide Line Review
Denver Firefighters Museum
The Rocky Mountain Guides June membership meeting was held at the Denver Firefighters Museum, located on Tremont Street in downtown Denver. We met on the second floor – now a meeting room though once a dormitory for firefighters.
After a short business meeting, Nancy Brueggeman introduced Winifred Ferrill, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the museum. Win gave us a wonderful overview of the history of Denver’s firefighters and of the museum itself.
This building was Fire Station One and was built in 1909 to replace the first Station One (located at Colfax and Broadway – now the site of the Pioneers’ Monument). The building covers almost the entire lot – leaving a small space in front of the museum which is used for parking now. This second Fire Station One was designed by Glen W. Huntington and was built at a cost of $20,000 and was in use from 1909 - 1974. In 1975 Station One was relocated to its current Colfax & Speer Avenue address. There are currently 38 stations in Denver, including four at DIA (three more are to come in the near future). Englewood recently joined the Denver Fire Department (DFD) – their facilities needed to be updated and Englewood could not afford this expense.
The original firefighters in Denver were volunteers. In 1866 the first volunteer hose company was organized, named for surveyor Redwood Fisher – the Woodie Fisher Hose Co. There were seven original volunteer companies in Denver and members needed to be voted in, so it was sort of a club where volunteers could spend time and hone their skills as firefighters. These companies were funded by wealthy men. In 1863 there was a fire in downtown Denver that leveled about six square blocks of the city, most of which was wooden. The City Council voted the next day to require all new buildings to be constructed of brick or stone.
There were competitions between the companies to see which company could get its hose cart out the door the fastest – the record is somewhere around 17 seconds!! The pumpers were operated by hand – ten men could pump 300 gallons of water a minute. The volunteer companies operated from 1866-1881.
In the 1880s the Fire Department acquired more land, bought more equipment and built bigger stations to accommodate horses and paid firefighters. The horses were stabled on the main floor. The horses replaced the manpower to pull the ladder truck and pumper, and were trained to push open their stall door and wait for the firefighters to harness them when an alarm came in. The harnesses were suspended from the ceiling and were released to fall on the backs of the horses.
Dogs were used to keep the horses moving in the proper direction or to control them while at a fire. Border collies and other herding type dogs were used for this. Dalmatians were known to have a calming effect on the horses and were used in the stalls to keep the horses company. After the stations were mechanized, dogs were kept as mascots and pets.
The hayloft was located on the second floor where the locker room, kitchen, men’s shower/restroom, and ladies room currently are. The fire station has six original steel fire poles at strategic locations for easy access by the firefighters. These poles were greased with a kerosene/oil mixture three or four times a day by the junior members of the company so that the firefighters would be able to slide down the poles easily. The poles here are hand poles – only about 2-3” in diameter - you did not wrap your legs around the pole to slide down. Brass poles were usually bigger around and you could wrap your legs around the pole.
There were two paid firefighter companies housed here – an Engine Company (pumper) and a Truck Company (ladders). Each Company had its own officer, usually a Lieutenant. Both of the officers’ quarters were located on the second floor near the dorm rooms. One is an exhibit showing the how it was furnished. In the locker room, the middle set of lockers has been staged to depict different periods during the Department’s history. Outside the offices are photos of past Chiefs with the dates of their leadership as Chief. There is a sample dorm room on display as well, the beds shown here came from the old Denver General Hospital. A display case with brass nozzles is on display with descriptions of what each nozzle would be used for. In the first floor education theater there are “hands-on” displays of hoses and fittings so you can see and feel how heavy this equipment is.
In 1923 the station was mechanized and the building remodeled to accommodate motorized apparatus. The Museum acquired a 1923 American La France pumper which could pump up to 1,000 gallons of water a minute. Later acquisitions include a 1942 American La France squad car and a 1953 Seagrave pumper. All three are on display on the main floor.
The second floor has a great collection of patches from other firefighting units from around the United States, Canada and other countries. It is a tradition for visiting firemen to bring a patch from their home company when they visit another fire station. The second floor can be rented for special events; weddings, retirement parties, and wedding receptions.
Win has applied for grants for upkeep to the station, funding is supplied by memberships, admission fees, Scientific Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) grants, and admissions and gift shop sales. Some of the displays have been redone and there are many items in storage that could be displayed if there was more room. The museum offers fire safety outreach to the community. They have partnered with Denver Public Schools in a fire safety program. A State Historical Fund grant supplied the money for a new roof, rebuilding of the four original skylights and the restoration of the arch on the front parapet. The museum has three full-time staff and four part-time staff. There are many retired firefighters who volunteer at the museum and keep the building in good repair.
There is a switchboard on the main floor that broadcasts current dispatches. This switchboard was used from 1945-1976. When it was installed, it was the most sophisticated dispatch board in the United States.
There are two resident ghosts in the building: Caleb, a Downs syndrome man who died in the 1870s, who occupies a closet in the basement and Tom, who also lives in the basement. Tom is a joker and likes to make the lights go on and off. The museum has three infrared photos of spirits. There is a paranormal event held here every October.
Parking: available on-street at meters, parking lots nearby – ranging in price from $5- $13. Unfortunately, there is no loading zone for a coach right there. Restrooms are on both the main floor and the second floor.
General Admission: $6 - adults, $5 - seniors, $5 - ages 13 and up, $4- ages 2-12, and $2 for developmentally challenged guests. There is a gift store on the first floor with many items available, including patches, hats, t-shirts, and kid-sized firefighter uniforms.
----Nancy Brueggman
Content copyright 2016. Rocky Mountain Guides Association. All rights reserved.
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