Mitchell Fire Co. 3 Memorial - Burlington, NJ
N 40° 04.444 W 074° 51.140
18T E 512591 N 4435988
Boilerplate special found on almost every fire station in NJ allows names to be added to a small memorial as needed.
Waymark Code: WMAJVJ
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 01/22/2011
Views: 3
On the left side of the building is one of those glass enclosed, boiler plate memorial specials. If you unlock, a glass cover opens up and letters can be added to display names as needed. It about eye high, says the usual in memory of our members and of course was donated by the ladies auxiliary. What I do not understand is this memorial has no. 4 on it, but the station is No. 3. Anyway, The Mitchell Ladies Auxiliary, founded in 1923 with a membership of 15, is the oldest auxiliary in the City. During the floods of 1955, the auxiliary provided food and beverages to all the City's firemen for four consecutive days and nights, earning a commendation from the Red Cross.
The firehouse is a 3-bay, single story, low lying building. Out front is the grave of an animal named Capp who died on May 11, 1882. Presumably, this was a dog. To the right is a bell with a plaque underneath attached to the brick housing announcing the incorporation date of this fire company as 1875. The bell also lists this as station 4. In the three bays is a 1500 GPM - 1986 Pierce pumper, a 2000 GPM - 2000 Pierce 85' Tower Ladder truck and a 2006 Ford/Marion Cascade unit.
From their website:
In 1870s Burlington, Federal Street was home to many shoemakers and shoe factories. Feeling the need for fire protection, they accepted a hose carriage as a gift from the Young America Fire Company, and housed it in a blacksmith’s shop, but did not organize an official fire company. In 1874, though, a fire struck the home and shop of a grocer, and though the shoemakers brought their hose carriage into action, the City's water system pressure was not sufficient to extinguish the flames.
The shoemakers decided that an organized fire company would be in their best interest, and formed the Mitchell Fire Company. Initially, the “Shoemaker’s Company”, as it was called, had only hand-pumped Franklin engines, but steam-powered LaFrance pumping engines were later brought into service. Mitchell’s original firehouse, built in 1875 and used for more than 100 years, still stands at the corner of Lawrence and Federal Streets, but the company is now located in more modern quarters at Mitchell and Federal Streets.