AREA HISTORY:  Fire Department, Hanover, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

Copyright 2005.  All rights reserved.
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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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THE FIRE DEPARTMENT – Page 590

When the first apparatus for extinguishing fire was used in Hanover cannot now be 
determined, but the leather buckets were in readiness for use in 1780.  Early in 
this century an engine was procured.  After a fire, in the year 1820, a town 
meeting was held and a petition was soon presented to the council asking that an 
engine, not to cost more than $800, be purchased, and that a tax be laid on the 
real estate within the borough to pay for it.  In July, 1830, the town council 
purchased from Asa Cummings, of Boston, an engine which was called “The Tiger,” 
at a cost of $275.  Sometime afterward another engine was obtained, which was 
called “The Lion.”  Both these engines are still in possession of the borough.  
In 1856 another engine was bought of a Baltimore firm for $450, and a reel to 
carry the hose was bought for $50.  This engine was called “The Washington.”  The 
small building used for some years for the fire apparatus, was located on 
Chestnut Street.  On this same spot the handsome two-story building was erected, 
at a cost of $3,800, by the town authorities, in 1882, under the administration 
of L. F. Melsheimer, as chief burgess.  The upper story of this new brick 
building contains a spacious hall.  In the lower story is kept all the fire 
apparatus ever owned by the company, including the beautiful and ornamental 
“Silsby” steam fire-engine, purchased in 1881, at a cost of $3,300; at the same 
time 1,040 feet of hose were bought for $1,000.