history

OF HISTORICAL INTEREST

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
REMEMBERED

Dedication of a Steel Beam
from the World Trade Center at
Durham Memorial Field
September 14, 2004

Community Fire Company #1, Station 42, Riegelsville, was
incorporated in 1929. However, the department’s origins are those of a
bucket brigade instituted in 1898 as a result of a hardware store
burning.

After the building burned, several men of the community formed the
Phoenix Fire Company. The name came from the first piece of
equipment they bought: a Phoenix steam pumper from Allentown;
purchased in 1897.

From 1897 until 1898 this steam pumper was stored in a carriage
factory. Then, in 1898 the men of the settlement built a brick firehouse
behind the historic Riegel building; opening onto Durham Road.

The Riegel family donated the land for this building. The public
donated the labor. There were two men who were in charge of
different parts of the construction: William Wolfinger, who supervised
the masonry work, and William Clymer, who supervised the carpentry.

Since there weren't any motorized vehicles, the steam pumper was
pulled by two horses owned by Jacob Kohl, a local baker who lived
across the street. The townspeople considered themselves lucky that
they didn't have a fire while Mr. Kohl was using his horses to pull his
bakery wagon.

In 1915, the Phoenix steam pumper was retired and replaced by the
Lafayette; another steam pumper pulled by horses. This apparatus
was bought from the Easton Fire Company. At this time, the Phoenix
Fire Company still only had one piece of equipment.

Then, in the 1920s, several men from Milford, New Jersey, and
Riegelsville, Pennsylvania, formed the Riegelsville Fire Association,
transforming the Phoenix Fire Company. In 1928, the borough council
took over the reins of running the Fire Association. With the council
being in charge, they were able to raise funds to buy new equipment.

The Lafayette steam engine only served the Riegelsville community
until the early 1920s. At this time, motorized fire apparatus became
more useful. With the borough's fundraising they accumulated enough
capital to purchase an American LaFrance Pumper in 1928.

As time passed, the community felt the fire company should become
incorporated or chartered. Thus, in 1929, the Riegelsville Fire
Association was incorporated and became the Community Fire
Company # 1 of Riegelsville, Pennsylvania.   For the following ten
years, the fire company was run under the borough council, which had
to approve its expenses.

As the years passed, the company had to grow to keep up with their
increasing response area that now included Easton, Doylestown,
Hellertown, and even Bloomsbury, New Jersey. With more of a
response area they also needed stronger machinery so they sold the
American LaFrance Pumper in 1946 and replaced it with a Ford/Maxim
pumper that could supply larger quantities of
water.

One of the mysteries of the fire company’s history is how it received
emergency calls prior to 1940. In that time period there were no
dispatchers to receive calls and relay information.

After 1940, an emergency would be called in to the Delaware River
Bridge Commission Building, located on the New Jersey side of the
Riegelsville Bridge. The officer that was on duty at the time would
answer the call, record the information received, and push a button in
the office to set off a siren at the firehouse.

Firefighters would then come to the station, and speak with the officer
via telephone to receive the information for the call, then head out to
the emergency.

In time, the fire company continued to grow, raising the need for it to
be remodeled, an event that occurred in 1954 and allowed for there to
be more equipment maintained on site.   The first purchase made was
a utility truck to carry any extra equipment that would be needed,
such as hoses, a portable pump, Indian tanks, brooms and rakes.

A year later, Community Fire Company #1 purchased an additional
piece of equipment: a boat. Seven years after this, the Ford/Maxim
pumper was replaced by a new 1961 GMC Pumper. Another seven
years passed, and then the company bought a four wheel drive
Chevrolet Tactical truck.

This apparatus was an excellent addition to the fire company
because it made it easier to get around in bad weather. The main use
of the Tactical truck was to help with field and wood fires. It also
carried a water pump on it.

The purchase of all the new equipment meant that the firehouse was
soon too small to house the fire company. In 1976, a decision was
made to move the fire company from Delaware and Durham roads to
333 Delaware road, on the crest of the hill. The new building had to be
renovated from an old school house which had formerly been a
church. A three bay garage was added so that each bay could fit two
trucks and there would be additional room for expansion.

By this time, automobiles were a main staple of transportation and
vehicle emergencies were increasing in number. The local ambulance
squad needed the fire company's help on many of these of
emergencies. In turn, the fire company bought a rescue truck
containing many different types of tools to help with auto accidents,
including the commonly known cutter and spreader tool, known
colloquially as the “jaws of life.” This tool greatly improved the ability
for firefighters to cut the roof off of a vehicle in more rapid fashion,
allowing them the reach the victim trapped inside. The truck also
carried medical supplies such as a backboard, first aid kit, wraps, and
bandages.

In 1982, the Riegelsville Community Fire Company #1 bought its first
brand new pumper truck in twenty years. This truck was a fully
equipped Mack pumper, which held 5 firefighters and was made
affordable through the donations of the Riegelsville and Durham area
residents served by the department.

Later, in 1995, a Seagraves pumper truck was purchased, in order to
provide greater water flow per minute. This truck, the largest the
company has owned, carries a crew of six firefighters in an enclosed
cab with SCBA embedded in the seats.

The turn of the Millenium brought another new piece of apparatus to
the firehouse: a new tanker truck to replace the 1970s vehicle.   The
new tanker would hold 2700 gallons of water and allow the company
to have greater response ability in an area with few fire hydrants
outside of the borough.

The purchase of apparatus, the building of a firehouse, the remodeling
of the firehouse, and the ongoing function of the department, would
not be possible without financial support.

The volunteer fire company has gained its funding historically from
many different sources.    Grant and relief monies are given on the
state and federal levels, some of which is restricted to allow only the
purchase of air packs, gear, radios, and many other things, but not
hoses, pumps, or anything else that comes in contact with water.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the department members raised funds by
performing in minstrel shows, performing plays such as The Show
Boat.   Other events that have supported the organization over the
years are: pizza sales, dinners, breakfasts, and flower sales.

Currently, breakfasts are still held on the third Sunday of every month
and dinners are held throughout the year.   The fire company also
rents out the fire hall for any occasion, such as birthday parties,
wedding receptions, and dances.

An Auxiliary for the fire company was formed to help raise funding for
the station. This organization does a great deal of the fundraising for
the organizations, works at its breakfasts, and caters dinners for
those who desire it.

In 2007, the company celebrated again, as the Mack Pumper was
replaced by a new engine to carry on the firefighting tradition of the
department. In a community effort, the firefighters themselves
stripped the vehicle and, after it was painted and lettered, restored it
into working order.

The company now has 30 members and an active auxiliary. It houses
2 engines, a tanker, a rescue truck, a tactical truck, a boat, jet ski,
and special services vehicle, and maintains a chief’s car; a deputy
chief’s vehicle, and a battalion chief’s vehicle.

In 2008, the company celebrates its 110th Anniversary—having come
a long way from the bucket brigades of 1898 to become a fully
established, trained, and equipped department ready to serve and
protect the people and property in Riegelsville, Durham and
Nockamixon townships.

Adapted and updated by Jeffrey Wargo from a report written by Ashley Hissim in November 2003.

ABOUT THE BUILDING

* The building which currently houses Community Fire
Company #1, Station 42, Riegelsville, was built in 1849 as a
one-story church building to house the Presbyterian
congregation in Riegelsville.   It was dedicated in December
1849 and services were discontinued in 1865.

* From 1857 until 1872 an academy operated in the building
under the direction of Charles W. Fancher and later Daniel R.
Williamson.

* In 1874, the unused building was sold to the Durham school
district for $650.   The building was remodeled slightly for use
as a grammar school.   Daniel R. Williamson served as the first
principal, followed by Peter Troxell in 1877, Charles Laubach
in 1879 and Miss Margaret Moffat in 1882.   Due to the growth
of the village, the school was enlarged in 1895 to provide room
for four classrooms. A September, 1895, issue of the
Intelligencer reported that builder Asher Purdy was "laying up
the brick wall of the new annex to the school building. The
work was completed in early 1896. In 1902, there were 125
students attending the school.

* The building's use as a school was discontinued in the
1970s.

* The building is a two story stuccoed masonry, gable-roofed
structure with a gabled, Romanesque portico. It has been
enlarged and remodeled and is presently the home of
Community Fire Company #1, Station 42, chartered in 1929.

From the book, "Riegelsville, PA: Its Buildings and Early Inhabitants." by Kathleen Cook. published by the
Riegelsville Academy Library Fund, 1991. Page 18

GALLERY