Sellersville Fire Company honored for pumper restoration
For sure, it’s old. bxactly how old, though, nR RnH NnRwV — GHfinLWHOy 152 years, maybe 153.
What is known is that Sellersville Volunteer Fire Department has had the handpowered pumper since the fiUH FRPSDny wDV IRUPHG Ln 1888 and that, although it’s nR ORnJHU uVHG WR fiJKW fiUHV, a restoration project completed last year will keep it SDUW RI WKH fiUH FRPSDny’V and town’s past, present and IuWuUH.
“We want to build a museum so the public can come see it,” said Richard Wagner -U., D fiUH FRPSDny PHPEHU since 1973 who helped spur the restoration. “We’re in the SURFHVV RI GUDwLnJ uS SODnV IRU WKDW nRw DnG KRw WR finance it.”
7KH fiUHKRuVH FDn’W EH expanded because any adGLWLRnV wRuOG EH Ln D flRRGplain, he said. The pumper is currently kept in a storage unLW, EuW WKH SRVVLELOLWy RI EuLOGLnJ D GLVSODy VSDFH IRU it next to Sellersville Museum is being looked into, he said.
“,W’V D EHDuWLIuO SLHFH RI history,” Jacqualyn HilOHJDVV, SDVW UHJHnW RI WKH BuFNV &RunWy &KDSWHU RI WKH DDuJKWHUV RI WKH APHULFDn 5HYROuWLRn, VDLG RI WKH pumper.
6WDWH DnG nDWLRnDO DA5 DwDUGV KRnRULnJ WKH fiUH FRPSDny IRU WKH UHVWRUDWLRn were presented Tuesday, Nov. 13.
“Not only did they sucFHVVIuOOy UDLVH WKH IunGV necessary to implement a IuOO UHVWRUDWLRn RI WKLV DnWLTuH fiUH fiJKWLnJ DSSDUDWuV, WKHy DOVR SHUIRUPHG D FLYLF achievement by preserving it IRU IuWuUH JHnHUDWLRnV DV Dn educational tool,” Timothy HuInDJOH, D ORFDO KLVWRULDn and volunteer at Sellersville Museum and West Rockhill Historical Society, wrote in LnIRUPDWLRn WR WKH DA5.
7KH DwDUG WR WKH fiUH FRPpany is about more than just historic preservation, HilleJDVV, D 7HOIRUG UHVLGHnW, VDLG.
“It’s to recognize people in the community,” Phoebe &RnnRU, VWDWH FKDLUwRPDn RI WKH DA5’V HLVWRULF 3UHVHUvation Committee, said.
“This award was designed to recognize worthy local LnGLYLGuDOV DnG JURuSV IRU outstanding achievements Ln DOO DUHDV RI KLVWRULF SUHVervation,” Betsy R. huster, national vice chairwoman RI WKH DA5’V HLVWRULF 3UHVHUYDWLRn 5HFRJnLWLRn AwDUG, wrote in the presentation.
7KH FRunWOHVV KRuUV RI work spent on research and RWKHU SDUWV RI WKH UHVWRUDWLRn DUH Rn WRS RI WKH PDny KRuUV WKH YROunWHHU fiUHfiJKWHUV have to put into becoming FHUWLfiHG DnG FRnWLnuHG WUDLning, Hillegass said.
“They’re here to protect properties and lives,” she said. “They’re not organized to be a historical society.”
7KH SuPSHU wDV PDnuIDFtured in Seneca Falls, N.Y., by Cowing & Co. in either 1859 RU 1860, HuInDJOH wrote.
“Supporting documentaWLRn FRnfiUPLnJ WKH HxDFW yHDU GRHV nRW HxLVW. AFFRUG- LnJ WR Dn AuJ. 2, 1888, nHwV EULHI SuEOLVKHG Ln nHLJKERUing Perkasie’s weekly newspaper, The Central News, the pumper arrived in SellHUVYLOOH DV RnH RI WKH fiUVW SLHFHV RI HTuLSPHnW SuUFKDVHG IRU WKH nHwOy IRUPHG FRPSDny,” HuInDJOH wURWH.
A ODWHU DUWLFOH UHSRUWHG WKH pumper was “guaranteed to WKURw wDWHU WR D GLVWDnFH RI RnH KunGUHG DnG fiIWy IHHW, which it accomplished by actual test.”
7R GR WKDW, URwV RI fiUHfiJKWHUV Rn ERWK VLGHV worked the pumps, with one side pushing up while the other side pulled down.
“The side coming up is drawing water in,” Wagner said.
“The pumper was kept in active service until more PRGHUn fiUHfiJKWLnJ WHFKnROogy became available (and DIIRUGDEOH) WR WKH VPDOO ERURuJK’V yRunJ fiUH FRPSDny,” HuInDJOH wURWH.
Wagner said he doesn’t know exactly when the pumper was replaced by motorized equipment — “bverybody who knows that is not around anymore,” he said — but assumes it was in the early 1900s.
“During the 20th century, it was lovingly kept in storage and occasionally taken WR VWDWH fiUHPHn’V SDUDGHV and conventions, where it wRuOG RIWHn UHFHLYH DwDUGV DnG UHFRJnLWLRn,” HuInDJOH wrote.
In 2007, Wagner began UHVHDUFKLnJ fiUPV WKDW FRuOG GR WKH UHVWRUDWLRn, HuInDJOH wrote.
“We used to take it out RnFH Ln DwKLOH IRU SDUDGHV, and talking to older members, I said, ‘Why don’t we get this thing restored and back in working order?’” Wagner said.
That work, which began in 2009 and ended in 2011, included rebuilding the pump and returning the original green paint to portions that had previously been repainted in red. It was done by FLUHfly 5HVWRUDWLRn Ln HRSH, Maine.
“7KHUH wHUH nR VSHFLfiF IunGUDLVHUV LPSOHPHnWHG IRU the restoration because the YHUy nDWuUH DnG LnWHJULWy RI WKH GHSDUWPHnW LV D EHOLHI Ln ‘JURuS HIIRUWV.’ 7KH IunGV used to restore the apparaWuV wHUH FuOOHG IURP yHDUV RI FDUnLYDOV, KDP GLnnHUV, ELnJR nLJKWV, EUHDNIDVWV DnG RWKHU HYHnWV,” HuInDJOH wrote.
“They piecemealed the bills to us, so it didn’t kill us,” Wagner said.
AW WKH 132nG DnnuDO FLUHPHn’V AVVRFLDWLRn RI WKH 6WDWH RI 3HnnVyOYDnLD &Rnvention in Lake Harmony in 6HSWHPEHU RI ODVW yHDU, WKH SuPSHU wRn D fiUVW SODFH Ln the Fire Company Owned 1Rn-0RWRULzHG AnWLTuH Category and the inaugural 3UHVLGHnW’V AwDUG IRU BHVW RI 6KRw IRU Dn DnWLTuH fiUH DSSDUDWuV, HuInDJOH DnG Wagner said.
The pumper will be included in celebrations next yHDU RI ERWK WKH fiUH FRPSDny’s 125th anniversary and D 275WK yHDU FHOHEUDWLRn RI the community whose roots JR EDFN WR EHIRUH WKH 5HYRlutionary War, Wagner said.
It’s important to do hisWRULF SUHVHUYDWLRn RI WKLnJV such as the pumper, Conner said.
“,I yRu GRn’W, LW’V JRnnD EH gone,” she said.
With the restoration completed, Wagner now has anRWKHU wLVK IRU WKH SuPSHU: “Hope it’s around many years and the young bucks WDNH FDUH RI LW,” KH VDLG.