Navesink Hook & Ladder Co. #1

Station 1

On May 1, 1886 a meeting was held in the All Saints School House (Stone Church) to incorporate a fire company in Navesink to protect life and property from fire. It had been previously published in the Atlantic Highlands Independent advising the public of the meeting and requesting all interested persons to attend. The men who were most active in their endeavor were Timothy M. Maxson Sr., A.J. Swan, and Edwin E.Burdge.

The name chosen on this memorable occasion was The Navesink Hook & Ladder Co. # 1 of Navesink, New Jersey. The incorporation papers were signed and the following names were affixed to the Document as charter members : Benjamin F. Burdge, A.J. Swan, E.E. Burdge, Thomas H. Golden, William A. Maxson Jr., Joseph Mount, Benjamin F. Tomkins, Charles E. Wilson, William D. Carhart, William E. Manning, George Brannin, and T.M. Maxson.

At this meeting, the following officers of the company were elected to serve until July 1, 1886:

President - Wm. E. Manning
Secretary - A.J. Swan
Treasurer - E.E. Burdge
Foreman - T.M. Maxson Sr.
1st Assistant - Benjamin F. Burdge
2nd Assistant - Charles E. Wilson
Fin. Secretary - Thomas H. Golden

The new company faced many difficult years in the beginning. Equipment was hard to obtain since they had very little money to purchase the many needed items such as buckets, wagons, axes and other essential equipment needed in those days to fight fire. From this company's very beginning, the assistance given it by the Community, has been exceptional. On October 27, 1886, Mrs. Eliza Barnes donated a wagon to the company and offered the use of her barn to keep it in and this generous offer was accepted. Her son, Walter J. Barnes, donated the first ladder which was also accepted. This was our first apparatus and from time to time buckets were purchased as company funds allowed.

Many affairs were held to raise money and these dances and card parties in the old Navesink Hall were usually successful money-raising affairs. On August 12th and 13th, 1886 our first Fair was held in the Navesink Hall. They called it a Peach and Ice Cream Festival at that time and netted a profit of $63.00. Each succeeding year the affair was held and became progressively more successful until today it is one of the best known Firemen's Fair's in the area. The slogan "Meet your friends at the Fair" was taken literally by everyone even back in the first days of our Fair.

On October 6, 1887 the company rented part of the Stearns Building on Monmouth & Stearns Ave. for $50.00 a year and had both a Truck House and meeting room. On November 3, 1887 the first fire truck was built by Joseph Stankiewitz of Stone Church for the sum of $78.00. This was a hand drawn affair which could be pulled by a horse if one was available at the time of the alarm. On January 5, 1888 T. M. Maxson was elected Navesink's first Fire Chief of the Middletown Township Fire Department. At this time the only other fire company in the Department was the Everett Hook & Ladder Company in Atlantic Highlands, which was then part of Middletown. On October 10, 1889 a gong was purchased for the first fire alarm. This was locomotive rim which was mounted on a frame and struck with a heavy hammer.

The desire to own their own truck house was discussed at many meetings and on September 16, 1890 the lot across the street from our present building was purchased for $225.00 and a building committee was formed to explore the costs of building a truck house. This committee was J. E. Williams, Edwin E. Burdge and T. M. Maxson. The following meeting plans were presented by Ed Burdge and it was decided to build a building 18'x36' according to Mr. Burdge's plans. Mr. T. M. Maxson donated $250.00 in lumber and money was borrowed from several residents of Navesink, and on July 30, 1891 the first meeting was held in the new Fire House. Most of the labor in building this Fire House was furnished by the firemen themselves with a few residents' assistance. The total cost of the new building was $1100.00. Furnishing our new fire house with limited funds was a new challenge and a stove was purchased for $6.00 and 3 settles were bought for $3.00 each. Other furnishings were donated by members and residents of the village.

The old minutes provide many interesting notes. In the annual report of 1891 it was noted the company had 2 fires which were extinguished. In 1892 we had one fire for the year and saved the house of George D. Smith.

On May 5, 1892 the company purchased a small bell to replace the gong for a fire alarm for $45.00 and paid 25 cents freight on the steamer "Sea Bird" to have it brought down from New York City.

On September 4, 1902 the mortgage of $250.00 was paid off and burned at a Supper held at the Navesink Hall with appropriate speakers. In later minutes it was found that they still owed some money on the mortgage and eventually it was paid.

The company's desire for improvement seems to have been one which began from the first meeting and still exists to this day. In 1904 a large 1000 pound bell was purchased and installed. The old bell was hung in a water tower on the Burdge property at Locust Point for a second fire alarm in that part of the community.

On April 6, 1905 the Rev. Mr. Lord, Pastor at Stone Church invited the company to attend Good Friday Services at the Church in a Body and this was accepted. This was the beginning of one of the many company traditions which has been carried out to this day. Each succeeding year the company has attended Good Friday Services at the Stone Church. On December 2, 1909 the company voted to put in electric lights in the truck house in place of the kerosene oil lamps and Allen Beegle did the job for $28.50.

On December 1, 1910 the company voted to purchase a chemical engine for $53.75 providing we could pay for it a little at a time. This proved to be much more effective than the buckets formerly used. However, on February 2, 1911 they also added a pump and a 3 horse power engine for $125.00 along with 100 feet of fire hose at 35 cents a foot.

We now had a truck that could be considered up to date but proved quite heavy to pull and Tom Garney was paid $3.00 for a horse to pull the truck for each alarm when available. About this time the possibility of getting a motorized fire truck was seriously discussed at many meetings and on May 19, 1911 a committee of Albert Burdge and Edwin E. Maxson was appointed to look into the cost of such a truck. They reported back that a used 1911 Thomas Flyer automobile of 60 horse power in good working order could be purchased in New York for $750.00 and a pump for same could be purchased for $125.00 which could throw a stream of water 150 feet from the nozzle. The fire house was again mortgaged and the car and pump purchased.

Engineer Albert Burdge was empowered to have the car converted into a fire truck and with his experience put together our first motorized apparatus. This soon became known all over the county as most successful and dependable piece of equipment and this company was called out to assist at many major fires all along the shore and in Red Bank.

On March 5, 1914 a telephone was installed in George Rogers' house across the street for fire alarms and cards were sent out to every Middletown resident asking for a 10 cents donation to defray the cost of installation and service. On December 6, 1917 the company purchased a second truck a Ford-Smith Forman and rigged it up as a fire truck. The old hand drawn truck was to be sold but the company had no bidders. A chemical tank was placed on this truck which proved effective at small fires and was later placed on another truck. This tank is still in the company's possession along with a number of other items. The original clock from the old fire house, the first bell, and the original head table is still in the company's treasured possession.

The many affairs held for the benefit of this company during these years were assisted by wives and families of firemen on October 7, 1920 the company voted to allow the ladies to organize as an auxiliary and meet in the fire house. However, on March 2, 1922 the ladies were ordered to disband because funds raised by them for the benefit of the company were not turned over to the company but were used for personal gain. It was not until March 15, 1958 that the Ladies Auxiliary was again organized into the present efficient organization we have today.

On November 3, 1921 the large bell which proved too heavy for the fire house roof was removed and given to the Belford Engine Company and the old bell again put up on the tower, This was used until October 4, 1923 when the first sterling siren was purchased from Elmer Hesse for $40.00; this was later replaced by a 5 horse power siren purchased from Elmer Hesse for $390.00. On March 31, 1924 the company purchased a Buffalo-Reo 300 gallons per minute triple combination truck for $46.00. On October 2, 1924 the company voted to give the old hand drawn fire truck to Mervin Hallam who had stored it in his garage for a number of years free of charge.

On October 1, 1925 the company discussed the need of water supply in Navesink and voted to build a cistern on the corner of Meadowbrook Lane & Monmouth Avenue. This was built by Frank Hower at a cost of $122.94 and proved a very effective source of water for fire. On April 6, 1928 the company purchased a Chevrolet Chassis and traded in the Ford-Smith Forman. The allowance on the Ford was $41.00 and the chemical tanks and equipment was transferred to the new chassis.

On April 4, 1929 the company purchased the first lot across the street for $1200 for a new fire house. The company also voted to build a new building of hollow tile 26'x50', two stories and two bays. Bid were received at the following meeting and contracts awarded totaling $9758.60. On September 12, 1929 the old fire house was sold to Howard Maxson for $10 and the first meeting in the new fire house was held on January 2, 1930.

The Navesink Fire House in the 1930's

In 1934 the company purchased a new Seagrave 600 triple combination pump and the old Chevrolet chemical truck was sold to Edward Jones who prompt converted it to an fee Wagon and used it around the community for many year. In 1936 the company purchased a 1928 Brockway hose truck from the Locust Valley L.I. Fire Department. A 250 gallons per minute front mount pump and a 21, gallon booster tank was installed and this unit proved a very effective brush true The old Reo-Buffalo was sold to the Glendola (N.J.) Fire Co. In 1948 our Mack - 750 gallons per minute truck - was purchased and the Brockway was donated to the Pine Brook Volunteer Fire Company and was receive with great enthusiasm. In 1960 we purchased another 750 gallons per minute Mack. In 1962 the company purchased a Dodge 4-wheel drive brush truck and sold the Seagrave track to the River Plaza Hose Company.

The Navesink Hook & Ladder Company for many years has earned the respect of the residents of the community for its outstanding work in community affairs a well as fighting fires. The company with its own funds has taken on many project for the benefit of the people of Navesink. Among these projects were the first street signs, the purchase of the pond property on Lakeside Ave. and rebuilding the dam and pond. Building the Little League Ball Meld at the rear of the fire house for the children of Navesink and were chiefly responsible for having Millers Crossing cut through to Monmouth Ave. for the convenience of the people of Plattmont as well a providing better fire protection for that area.

The proceeds of our Fairs and fund drives have benefited the community by providing us with funds to sponsor these civic projects as well as purchasing our present equipment and building of new fire house which was proudly dedicated in 1969. In 1975 the company purchased a new Mack 1250 gallon pumper to replace the 1948 Mack. The old '48 Mack was sold to the Feldschoesschen Brewery in Feldschoesschen West Germany and during the first week of June 1975, the old Mack was driven to Port Elizabeth and loaded on the Soviet freighter Pavograd. The truck arrived in Germany on June 20,1975 and was used to advertise that brewery's beer in German parades. When the brewery went out of business, the truck was sold to a German volunteer fire company and as best that we can learn, it is still fighting fires in Germany.

In 1986 we purchased a 1985 Mack 1250 gallon pumper to replace the old 1960 truck. In 1993 a Ford Brushtruck was purchased to replace the 1962 Dodge and in 1995, a Pierce-Lance pumper replaced the 1975 Mack, which was sent to South America to continue it's service. The '85 Mack was sold to the neighboring Highlands Fire Department in 2004 when a Smeal pumper was purchased.

Our present trucks, the 2004 Smeal Pumper (Engine 110), 1995 Pierce Pumper (Engine 111), and 1993 Ford Brushtruck (Brushtruck 112) are among the finest fire fighting equipment to be found in our area and were purchased and are maintained through the generous patronage given to us by the community. This patronage has helped us to help the community and is deeply appreciated by each and every member of this company.

Most of he information on this page was borrowed from the Navesink Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1 100th Anniversary Historic Journal. Ed Banfield compiled the history. The photos on this page were provided by the Navesink Fire Company Archives.

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