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By Dana Abrahamson and Bill Wilson |
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By Dana Abrahamson and Bill Wilson |
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In many ways the elegantly proportioned tower of Alpine Hose No.2 is the principal visual and historical symbol of Georgetown. It embodies the rich history of the Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department, the organization whose unbroken service since 1870 is largely responsible for the intact fabric of the town. Unlike at least eight other early mining towns in Colorado, no conflagration ever leveled Georgetown. The firehouse and its tower are an irreplaceable asset of the Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District. But the building has long sat idle. Now the grand old building may see new life. Historic Georgetown, Inc., through partnerships with the Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department and the Town of Georgetown, is exploring the possibility of using the historic building as a seasonal fire-department museum that would showcase the extensive museum-quality collections of the Georgetown Fire Department. The Georgetown Police Department is also considering using office space within the building to better meet the needs of the Town of Georgetown. In 1875, the Alpine Hose Company No. 2 was formed, and the town provided the new company its own firehouse. The ground floor housed hose carts and the pumper, and the second floor served as a meeting room. Two issues soon became apparent: first, the need for a tower, where the hoses could be thoroughly dried between fires, in order to prevent them from freezing in the wintertime; and second, the need for a new, louder fire bell that citizens could hear inside their houses on winter evenings. William Hamill, a long-time supporter of the fire department, offered to purchase a new (louder) bell if the town council would agree to construct a hose tower behind the Alpine Hose building. Both were accomplished in 1880. Allegedly, Hamill had noted architect Robert Roeschlaub design the tower. At the time, Roeschlaub was designing the expansion of the Hamill House.
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The Miner, pleased with the new 1,200-pound bell, stated, "Those hard of hearing will undoubtedly be aroused." For years the bell rang for fire alarms and for children's curfews (9 p.m. in summer, 8 p.m. in winter). Today the same Hamill bell rings the hour and half hour from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and nearby residents can indeed hear it, even from the comfort of their homes on winter evenings! A Georgetown Fire-department Museum would create the opportunity
for our many Georgetown visitors to learn about the history of firefighting
in the turn-of-the-century West, as well as to see and touch the actual
tools and equipment that were used for firefighting in the 19th century.
After completing the stabilization phase in 1994, this further development
of the building is now under consideration by HGI and the Town of Georgetown.
We'll keep you posted regarding further developments.
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