Vigilant Fire Company Firemen's Monument

Vigilant Fire Company Firemen's Monument is a historic monument located at Washington Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.

Vigilant Fire Company Firemen's Monument
Vigilant Fire Company Firemen's Monument. June 2013.
LocationUnion Cemetery W side of PA 873, approx. 1/3 mil S of Slatington, Washington Township, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°44′23″N 75°36′49″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1909
Built byScheirer, Frank A.
NRHP reference No.04000838[1]
Added to NRHPAugust 11, 2004

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.[1]

History

Erected in 1909 and dedicated on September 16, 1909, the Vigilant Fire Company Fireman's Monument is a 16-foot-high granite monument on a concrete base, which is situated on a plot of land chosen by the fire company for its visibility from the highway. Crafted by local stone mason Frank Scheirer at a cost of $2,200, the monument incorporates a 7-foot-tall statue of an early 20th-century fireman with a handlebar mustache, pointed fire hat, fire coat and boots, and holding a young girl in both arms. Arthur Scranton, a member of the Vigilant Fire Company, was responsible for the erection of the monument, according to the monument's dedication plaque.[2]

This monument was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.[1]

Burials

Initially planned as a burial site for firemen who had been facing financial hardships or were without family at their respective times of death, the proposed usage of the plot where the monument is located was expanded to allow for the burial of career and volunteer firemen. Three firemen who were interred here are (see gravestone photo gallery below): Harry J. Henritzy. Marcus Hessman, and Theodore Hoffman.[2]

  • Tombs of firemen
  • Tomb of Harry J. Henritzy (1881-1941)
  • Tomb of Marcus Hessman (1861-1942)
  • Tomb of Theodore Hoffman (1873-1947)

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes Robert Stettner (April 2004). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Vigilant Fire Company Firemen's Monument" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-05.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.