The History of Fireman’s Hall Museum Fire Safety Exposition

Shortly after Fireman’s Hall Museum opened its doors at 147 N. 2nd Street in 1977 the staff of the Museum joined with members of the Union Historical Fire Society to hold an old fashion fire muster. In simple terms, a muster is a gathering, as in “muster the troops”.

The idea was to have an event that harkened back to the age when firemen would gather on friendly terms to challenge each other to contests to see who could propel water the furthest from their hand powered pumps. The contests evolved and in the age of the steamer the competitions became tests of muscle, mind and technology. Beyond tests of each company’s ability to pump, spectators could often see tugs-of-war or other displays of brawn.

Musters of yesteryear sometimes incorporated grand parades and displays of highly prized and expensive “parade pieces” of equipment. Some would be adorned with paintings, etched glass or mirrors. Over the years the affairs have continued to evolve. Modern musters still feature pumping contests and bucket brigade races. They also incorporate judging of apparatus, both modern and antique. The fire companies and individuals that bring fire engines to musters prepare for days or even months in the hopes of winning a trophy and the respect of their peers.

In 1979, the first Fireman’s Hall Appreciation Day and Muster was held on Delaware Avenue below Spring Garden Streets. By the 1980’s the Muster had migrated to the 200, 300 and 400 blocks of Spring Garden Street. The Muster would draw thousands of visitors. But by 1989 the cost of the holding the muster and waning participation led to its demise.

In 2004, a small group of individuals from Fireman’s Hall Museum and the Fire Prevention Division of the Philadelphia Fire Department met with a few key members of other fire fighting organizations and fire buff clubs in the Delaware Valley. Their purpose was to see if they could resurrect the Muster and use it as a vehicle to not only gather fire fighting enthusiasts, but to utilize the event to draw members of the public to see the equipment, personnel and techniques used to fight fire as well as promote a message of fire prevention.

After a year of preparation and thousands of man-hours of work the plan was ready and put into action. On October 23, 2005 the new Fireman’s Hall Museum Fire Safety Exposition and Muster was held. That year the Muster drew approximately 1,000 participants and spectators. By 2008 the event was attended by 5,027 people.

This promises to be another great year for the Muster. Our hope is to exceed 6,000 attendees. The event and parking are free of charge and support comes from local and national public safety suppliers, apparatus manufacturers, fire fighting equipment suppliers, insurance companies and other businesses looking to promote fire safety. All proceeds raised at the event are used to help Fireman’s Hall Museum promote fire prevention and safety.

About Fireman’s Hall Museum

 
During 1974 and 1975, the height of the planning stages for Philadelphia’s celebration of the Nation’s Bicentennial, the Philadelphia Fire Department enlisted the aid of interested individuals in the private sector to form an alliance with the City of Philadelphia to create a new fire museum.  This museum was designed to be a showcase for Bicentennial visitors to partake of the rich firefighting history that occurred in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the first organized fire company in Colonial America, established in 1736 by Benjamin Franklin.
 
Building upon an existing Philadelphia Fire Department museum that was overcrowded and whose exhibits were difficult to interpret, the Administration of Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Joseph R. Rizzo, members of the Fire Department staff and a group of interested individuals began to explore ways of improving the fire museum.  Philadelphia’s National Bicentennial celebration provided the means of accomplishing the transition to the new museum.  Fireman’s Hall Museum was chosen as one of the three City museums to merit special developmental consideration during this period.  Major Bicentennial funding provided by Philadelphia’s property casualty insurance companies, as well as other corporations and groups, were designated specifically for the fire museum.  The City itself supplied additional funding.  Consequently, the museum was able to undertake a major building campaign.
 
A new organization, the Philadelphia Fire Department Historical Corporation (PFDHC), chartered in 1974 as a charitable and educational non-profit 501c3 corporation, was created to raise supplemental funding for the building expansion and to support and maintain the collection, exhibits, library, archives and educational purposes of the new museum.  Its volunteer Board of Directors, drawn from the business and educational community, provided advice for the Museum’s management during its expansion and to assume fiduciary responsibility for non-city funds. In addition to business and educational leaders, the Board consisted of members of the museum community, well-known fire historians and other dedicated individuals.
 
Early efforts of the PFDHC included creating and purchasing brochures and stationary. The Corporation arranged for horses to pull the antique apparatus, scouted for Philadelphia firefighting artifacts and helped increase the Museum’s visibility. In addition, the Corporation formed a membership program that included periodic lectures, newsletters, annual parties and funding efforts to support fire safety and fire prevention outreach programs.
 
Over the years, the PFDHC has continued to support the Museum by cataloguing and computerizing the collections, updating museum exhibits, documenting the history of the Philadelphia firefighting through oral history programs and through the publishing of a comprehensive history of the Philadelphia Fire Department, Hike Out!. Additions to the Museum, in the form of new acquisitions, exhibits, computers, security and phone systems, as well as operating funds, are made through the Corporation. Perhaps most importantly, the Corporation continues to develop the organization and financial resources required to enable Fireman’s Hall Museum to be self-fulfilling in its mission to be a quality museum and a resource for fire safety and prevention.
 
Currently, work continues on two new and exciting exhibits. To find out more, please visit www.FiremansHall.org