Fire was one of the most deadly and feared events on the American frontier, ravaging mining towns throughout the West.
But one historic Colorado community never suffered that fate.
Residents of Georgetown are proud that their town escaped the devastation of fire. They credit a 130-year-old volunteer fire department for protecting a town that contains more than 200 residences and businesses built before the turn of the century.
Now, that firefighting heritage is being honored by the town and state of Colorado.
The historic 1875 Alpine Hose Firehouse No. 2, with its soaring bell tower that dominates the Georgetown sky, is to be renovated and turned into a museum.
The State Historical Fund is giving the town $146,000 to save the fire station.
In all, the fund awarded 64 grants for historical preservation totaling $4.7 million. Among the projects are the Wiley Rock Schoolhouse in rural Prowers County, the Hayden Ranch in Leadville, and the Logan County Courthouse in Sterling.
The State Historical Fund, a program of the Colorado Historical Society, has awarded more than 3,100 grants totaling about $192 million since 1993.
In applying for the grant, the town of Georgetown said that the firehouse is “the town’s symbol.”
“We are just so excited about it because it is a piece of the American West,” said Sharon Rossino, executive director of Historic Georgetown Inc. “This is going to be very unique in that it will be the restoration of the original firehouse. I think it will be the only one in the Rocky Mountain region.”
The restoration will take about 18 months.
The building is impressive. Inside sit the original hose carts and ladder wagons that were used by decades of volunteer firefighters.
On a recent day, Rossino, her son, Joseph, 2, and 7-year-old daughter, Maggie, visited the firehouse along with their friends Dana Abrahamson and her son, Craig McLeod Abrahamson, 21 months.
Abrahamson is the former executive director of Historic Georgetown Inc. and repeatedly sought the funding.
Part of it has to do with her family. Her husband, also named Craig, is a volunteer Georgetown fireman, as were his father and grandfather.
She has no doubts that her toddler, who climbed and walked around the firehouse like he belonged there, will be the fourth generation of the family to be a firefighter.
“There were 20 to 30 volunteers at each of the four firehouses,” Abrahamson said. “They were loyal to their stations. The stations were the social clubs of Georgetown.”
Above the equipment room on the ground floor is the large meeting room.
On its walls were 15 to 20 different wallpaper patterns, a sign of luxury on the American frontier. And on the floor was an ornate red wool carpet, which has been saved.
Most of the wallpaper is gone, but the identical wall patterns will grace the restored interior.
“It was the most elaborate wallpaper in Georgetown, except for the Hamill House,” Abrahamson said, alluding to the home of wealthy silver mining magnate William Hamill.
Hamill contributed the town “fire bell,” which still hangs and rings from the tower of Alpine Hose No. 2.
Abrahamson said that the museum will be unique because the Georgetown fire volunteers never threw anything away. In the museum will be the original uniforms and helmets they wore, the buckets they used to fight fires, the trumpets they played, and the flags that flew from the tower, she said.
The items will be in display cases.
“This is really going to contribute to the museum system we have in town,” Abrahamson said.
“It is going to bring a lot of recognition to the Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department.”
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
Historic properties awarded grants*
* Grants were also awarded for surveys and documentation projects
Source: Colorado Historical Society
