Fire Museum of Maryland outside Baltimore
Posted on Mar 29, 2010 under History | No CommentIf you’ve ever wanted to be a fireman, then exploring the Fire Museum of Maryland , just twenty minutes outside of the city of Baltimore, may be a great way to spend an afternoon.
The Fire Museum’s mission is to teach people about the history, the equipment and techniques, as well as about the people who have worked in fire service, collecting and preserving the artifacts and records significant to the history of firemen in the United States. Begun thirty-nine years ago, in 1971, as a private, non-profit organization, today it stands as one of the best museums on fire fighting in the U.S., and contains artifacts stretching back to 1806 to 1957.
You’ll find here a number of events specifically for children, not to mention for fire fighters and other adults who wish to learn more about fire fighting’s history and how antique fire gear was once used. There’s also fifty rigs exhibited, as well as special displays, such as a fire alarm telegraph system that still operates, and a high pressure pumping system once used in Baltimore.
Visitors will also learn about the 1904 Great Baltimore Fire. On February 7, on a Sunday, a few minutes before eleven a.m., the fire began at a wholesale dry goods store in the John E. Hurst Building. An explosion blew out the building’s walls, and distributed embers in every direction, setting fire to the nearby buildings. The fire decimated over fifteen hundred buildings and wasn’t brought under control for another thirty-six hours. It took 72 fire companies to combat the fires, 38 of them from New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Wilmington, Washington, and West Chester. The losses in the fire were considered to be over 150 million dollars.
Among the other exhibitions, you’ll find the Engine Company #8’s Facade Restoration. This exhibit was added five years ago, when the museum received a grant from Preservation Maryland to restore all the cast-iron facade parts of Baltimore’s Engine Company #8. The restored doorway leads into an exhibit titled, “Life of the Fireman.”
The Fire Museum is only one of many museums located in the city. If you’re traveling, plan to stay a few days in Baltimore. Best hotels can be found throughout the metropolitan area, and allow you a chance to see The Baltimore Museum of Art , the American Visionary Art Museum, and the Port Discovery Children’s Museum, among others.