Riverside Fire Co. No. 1 Memorial No. 2 - Riverside, NJ
N 40° 02.260 W 074° 57.631
18T E 503368 N 4431938
One of the more interesting fire stations in our region. There are two memorials here, a much older one and a this newer one placed approximately 1996.
Waymark Code: WMDYD2
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 03/08/2012
Views: 5
The company was organized on June 12, 1892 a fact found on the end, incised in a small memorial monument. There is also an 1892 date incised and painted black in the foundation to the bottom left of the off-centered entrance to the left of the large double pay garage door. The original 2-story brick building has all sorts of interesting brick designs with pink stone work jutting here and there. The building is very arts and crafty. They (whoever they is) also painted the concrete car stops pink as well as the light on top of the boilerplate memorial found to the left of the main bay doors. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was the precursor to Art Nouveau/Art Deco.
The aforementioned memorial monument is of granite, on the far left side of the building, by itself with a flag pole and a L-shaped brick wall with dirt in the center and reads as follows:
In Memory Of
Our Firefighters
Who Have Answered Their Last Alarm
Riverside Fire Co. No. 1
Organized - June 12, 1892
The other, much older memorial is one of those small, bronze and glass specials with the background, under the glass, set up for letters to spell out names as need be should occasion arise. There is a lock at the bottom for access. The memorial reads (at the top) Riverside Fire Co. No. 1. Just above the glass door reads In Memory of Our Members. The memorial was donated by the Ladies Auxiliary in 1958.
The right side is also brick with a single large bay door like the original and only one story with a 1996 date stone flush with the brick on the lower left side. Just beneath the date stone, there is a dedication plaque which reads:
Dedication
Firehouse Addition
Riverside Fire District #1
October 5, 1996
Commissioners
Wm. Keith Brock
Claude L. Stellwag
Bernard L. Orfe, Sr.
Emerson R. Lucas
James C. Rae III
* * * * *
Michael F. Chiaccio/Administrator
Barry T. Parker
Walter H. Croft, Architect
Danvo Construction Co., Contractor
The fire company has a professionally designed, killer website with all the bells and whistles including ACDC performing You Shook Me All Night Long. I learned they are 100% volunteer. There website can be found HERE. The Riverside Fire Company was founded in June 1892. Then, and now, the mission of the Riverside Fire Company No 1 is to reduce the loss of life and economic damage to a structure due to fire and related emergencies through leadership, training, prevention and support to the citizens of Riverside and mutual aid companies.