Fire museum opens in New Hope
By John Tredrea, Special Writer
A steel beam from the World Trade Center, facing toward its original site in lower Manhattan, will be positioned just outside the doors of the Delaware Valley Fire Museum, which will open officially in New Hope on Saturday, Oct. 5.
”The mission of the Delaware Valley Fire Museum is to preserve, collect, record and exhibit the history of fire, rescue, and emergency medical services within the Delaware Valley, but in particular Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and to serve as a memorial to both paid and volunteer who have dedicated their lives to the fire and emergency services,” a spokesperson for the museum said.
The museum room was specifically designed to recreate the appearance of the original Eagle Fire Company building in downtown New Hope.
The museum’s vision is to provide a location for the protection and display of historical artifacts of the New Hope Eagle Fire Company and other fire companies in the Delaware Valley.
”We hope to also provide a location to educate the community on the history and tradition of volunteer fire companies dating back to the colonial period,” said the spokesman.
The DVFM is located in the Eagle Fire Company building at 46 North Sugan Road in New Hope. Saturday’s event will get under way at 10 a.m. Admission is free and refreshments will be available for early patrons.
The DVFM will remain open on weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the end of October and during the Eagle Fire Company’s Fire Prevention Open House. Guided tours of the museum and the working firehouse are available by request.
Museum highlights include the “Stairway to Dedication,” a sculpture by Jim McGinniss of New Hope, that is dedicated to those New York City firemen who lost their lives attempting to save others’ during the 9-11 disaster.
Emergency service dress and duty uniforms will share space with in the a 19th century hand-drawn image of a hose carriage and hose cart. Alarms, alerts and parade accouterments will speak to the different aspects of firefighting within the community. A selection of replicas and toys explores the lure of firefighting in popular culture.
Additional information can be found at delvalfiremuseum.org or the Eagle Fire Company website at eaglefirecompany.org.