| After over 10 years of attempting to find a permanent home to help display and preserve the history of the county fire service, the Frederick County Fire & Rescue Museum and Preservation Society, Inc. will open to the public on April 2, 2011. The opening ceremony will begin at 10:00AM and will coincide with Bell & History Day which marks the beginning of the museum season in Frederick County.
The fire museum will be located in the former Emmitsburg Ambulance Company building at 300 South Seton Avenue in Emmitsburg. The building became county property after the ambulance company moved to the new facility on Creamery Rd. The metal frame structure was purchased by the ambulance company however, located on ground owned by Frederick County.
In an effort to support a county fire and rescue museum, the Board of County Commissioner voted to lease the building to the museum corporation for $1 per year as long as the museum assumed all expenses. The commissioners also gave permission for the museum to sub-lease to the National Fire Heritage Center as the home office location to organize a national fire service archive.
The museum will house such fire service apparatus known as the "Old Lady" an 1821 hand tub pumper originally owned by the Mechanical Fire Co. No. 1 of Baltimore and owned by the Uniteds and Libertytown. Also, the 1939 Ahrens-Fox fire engine owned by the United Fire Co. and several artifacts such as unique badges, ribbons pictures and hats will also be on display. The museum intends to display a time line of county fire service history and highlight each member company by year of organization. General displays of early emergency medical services, the Maryland State Firemen's Association and ladies auxiliary members are also being planned.
Everyone is invited to attend the opening ceremony at 10:00AM at the museum location at 300 South Seton Avenue on April 2, 2011 as a part of the Bell and History Day in Frederick County. The museum will regularly be open on Saturdays from 10:00AM to 2:00PM through the summer. For additional information call Chip Jewell at 301-600-2072. |
