The History Of The Washington Fire Department

WASHINGTON — The Wykeham Room of Gunn Memorial Library will host a lecture on “The History of the Washington Fire Department”  on Thursday, January 8, at 6:30 pm. Duncan Woodruff, the chief of the Washington Fire Department, will give a power point presentation on the history of the department, past and recent fires of note in Washington, and the apparatus that the department uses to fight fires.

Refreshments will be served following the lecture, during which time visitors will be also able to view two current exhibits that coincide with the lecture.

This will be one of the final opportunities to view the library’s holiday exhibit, “Trucks, Hydrants and Hoses,” which will close on January 11. The presentation features vintage toys, fire engines and memorabilia in an eye-catching, fiery setting. Highlights include toy fire trucks of all shapes and sizes on loan to us from area collectors.

The second exhibit, on view until May 1, is “Washington’s Emergency Services: A History of the Fire Department & Ambulance Association.” Fire department and ambulance association volunteers have been serving Washington for decades. Vintage photographs and artifacts from the fire department and ambulance association fill this exhibit, conveying stories of brotherhood, tragedy and triumph.

Admission to the lecture and museum is free.

Gunn Memorial Library and Museum is at 5 Wykeham Road, at the corner of Route 47 and Wykeham Road on the Washington Green. Call the museum at 860-868-7756 or visit GunnLibrary.org for more information.