Chambersburg's Friendship Fire Co. had big celebration for new equipment, engine house

When a fire broke out in the early years of Chambersburg, citizens would gather and use wooden or leather buckets in an attempt to extinguish the flames of destruction.

As the young town grew, there was a definite need for a fire company. That day arrived on March 13, 1780, when citizens organized the United Fire Company.

At this time the bucket brigade was still the means of extinguishing a fire, but hope was on the horizon. In 1800, Chambersburg Town Council purchased a "button" engine, a piece of equipment that, at about 3 feet long, was small enough to be carried in a wheelbarrow.

The next piece of firefighting equipment was a four-wheel suction engine known as the “Green Gallery.” It was much larger than the Button and was hand-drawn.

United became Friendship Engine and Hose Co. 1 in 1830. The new name came about when members R.P. Hazlett and W. Reilly had a heated discussion. Hazlett extended his hand in friendship to Reilly and the name Friendship was then chosen.

Friendship continued to use hand-drawn apparatuses until 1850, when the company purchased a four-wheel hose carriage from a Mr. Jeffries of Philadelphia, for the sum of $360.

When Confederate forces set fire to portions of Chambersburg on July 30, 1864, the Friendship boys used the hose carriage and their hand-drawn suction engine with the hope of extinguishing some of the many fires burning on citizens' properties.

The 1850 hose carriage can be seen on display at the Chambersburg Volunteer Fireman's Museum located at 441 Broad St. The museum offers an excellent display of hand-drawn, horse-drawn and motorized fire apparatuses and other early firefighting equipment, plus a large selection of pictures, and many other unique items from earlier times.

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Time marched on, and by 1871 the Friendships were ready for a horse-drawn steam fire engine. Town Council appointed two representatives to go to Philadelphia and examine some second-hand steam fire engines for sale.

The committee proceeded to Meadville, where they looked at and tested an 1864 Amaskeag steam fire engine. After some minor repairs, the steamer arrived in Chambersburg via the Cumberland Valley Railroad on May 20, 1871. It was taken to the Friendship engine house next to Borough Hall on South Second Street.

Friendship had been in the engine house for 80 years and needed a larger, modern building.

S.K. Shyrock, a Friendship member and Town Council representative, offered to sell his property on the "East Point," where East Queen Street and Lincoln Way East meet, so the fire department could build a new engine house.

It was an ideal location, so Town Council agreed to purchase Shyrock's property and proceed with plans to secure bids for the new engine house. The low bid of $4,989 was submitted by Walter E. Bowers to build a two-story engine house.

Town Council accepted the bid with the understanding that the building had to be completed by July 1, 1911, or the contractor would be assessed a penalty. The engine house was completed in time, and a third floor was added in 1938.

The next order of business was to replace the old horse-drawn steam fire engine.

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Representatives from the town and Friendship worked together to obtain bids for a new motorized firefighting apparatus. Numerous bids were submitted, and on Oct. 16, 1911, Town Council awarded the contract to the American LaFrance Company for a combination chemical automobile apparatus at the price of $5,500, to be delivered by Nov. 28, 1911.

Now that the new engine house was built and the new motorized fire apparatus would be arriving shortly, there would have to be a proper dedication for them. A big celebration was held in Chambersburg on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 30, 1911, with Friendship hosting a grand fireman's parade and fair that featured a large number of fire companies and bands from near and far.

During the fireman's parade you had the opportunity to observe the many fire companies that would perform parade drill competitions. It was after all of the above festivities that a ceremony was held at the East Point for the housing of Friendship's new motorized firefighting apparatus and the dedication of their new engine house.

The 1911 American LaFrance was replaced in 1930 with an American LaFrance City Service Truck, and the older apparatus was sent to a scrap drive during World War II.

Friendship's fire station on the East Point was used until April 1976, at which time the fire apparatus was moved to Chambersburg Fire Department's McKinley Street Fire Station. Friendship's engine house still stands today.

M.L. “Mike” Marotte III is an Author, Historian, and Journalist who writes about the rich History of Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Read more of him at www.vintagefranklincountypa.com .

This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Mike Marotte: Friendship Fire Co.'s big celebration