PHOENIXVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT

HISTORY 
 

Hand Drawn Apparatus (1874 - 1906)

The first fire apparatus included a used hose carriage and used ladder wagon purchased by the Borough of Phoenixville in 1873 and placed under the control of PHHL1 upon their organization on March 3, 1874. Borough records show that the hose carriage cost $625 and the ladder wagon $450. There were 4 ladders with the longest being 35 feet in length. By December 1874, a second hose carriage was purchased due to the difficulty of cleaning, drying, and restoring leather hose that had been laid down on dirt and cinder roads. 

An early history of PHHL1 states that a used hose carriage was purchased from the Hope Hose Company of Philadelphia in 1874 as the company's 2nd hose carriage. It is believed to be the hose carriage on display at Fireman's Hall Museum in Philadelphia which has a builder’s plate attributing it to Wolf & Beigh of Allentown. A late 19th century PHHL1 parade ribbon on display at Fireman’s Hall Museum depicts a hose carriage and ladder wagon.

Prior to the formation of PHHL1, Phoenix Iron Company owned firefighting equipment including a hand engine used for the protection of their iron manufacturing plant. PICo turned this engine over to PHHL1 sometime between 1890 and 1900. The hand engine could throw a stream of water over 100 feet into the air and is known as a 'Philadelphia Style double deck end stroke engine. It is believed to have been manufactured by either Patrick Lyons or Richard Mason. It was modified to accept a 2 1/2-inch hose connection to its water tub for use with the Borough's water system. This hand engine is currently owned by the Pennsylvania Fire Museum in Harrisburg and is on permanent display there.

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