History of the Department

    The Adamstown Fire Company was organized on April 29, 1874.  The first piece of firefighting apparatus was also purchased at this time.  This was a used “Little Giant” hand-pumper.  This was used until 1905, when it was replaced with a horse-drawn wagon with a gas engine water pump.  Meetings were held and equipment was housed in a small frame building located near the intersections of east and west main streets.  What took place between the initial start-up in 1874 and the charter in 1915 is very unclear.  The Fire Company’s building was destroyed in 1921, and all of the records were lost.  However, due to the quick thinking of neighbors, the equipment was saved.  In 1919 a Ford Model T chassis was purchased and the pump and motor assemblies were transferred from the horse drawn wagon to the new truck chassis.  This piece was used until approximately 1930 as the primary piece of firefighting equipment.  After the 1921 fire, meetings were held at Jacob Fisher’s Barber Shop, which was located at 37 East Main Street.  The equipment was stored in Galen Bishop’s garage located at 128 West Main Street.  In 1926, Homer Stork owner of Hope Hosiery Mill, donated a parcel of land at 30 Willow Street to the fire company so a new fire station could be constructed.  Plans were drawn and the building was constructed and furnished for a cost of $14,035.22.  In January 1930, the fire company purchased a new larger fire truck.  This piece was a Mack Type 19 fire truck.  This was a very powerful truck for its day.  The 150HP engine powered a pressure/volume pump at 1,000 gallons per minute.  The trucks cost was $12,500.00.  In 1937, a Ford pick-up truck was purchased and utilizes to carry ladders, personnel, and other equipment to the scenes of fires.  On January 4, 1958 this truck was replaced with a 1957 Ford chassis with a Peter Pirsch body.  This unit had a 750 gallon per minute pump and remained in service until 1990.  In 1968, a Ford 4X4 brush type truck was placed into service.  It had a 200 gallon water tank and could pump 250 gallons per minute.  In 1974, the fire company celebrated 100 years of service with a parade, and activities in the grove.  In June of 1980, a committee was appointed to consider purchasing land to construct a new fire station.  On April 1, 1981, a former service station located along route 272 was purchased.  With many hours of dedication from members of the fire company and the residents of the borough, the building was renovated, and turned into a fully functional fire station with a meeting room and small kitchen.  It also had additional space for a newer, larger piece of fire apparatus.  This building was utilized by both the borough and the fire company until 1997, when the current fire station was built on south poplar street.  The old fire station was purchased by the borough, and is utilized by both the library and the borough.  The Adamstown Fire Company still owns both the hand-pumper, and the Model T fire fighting pieces, and they can be easily viewed at the current station located at 30 south poplar street.