Take a Walk Back in Time at the New Bern Fire Museum

The Cape Fear Coast in North Carolina offers a lot more than seven beaches and shady palm trees. Whether you are taking the kids, or escaping the daily grind for a romantic interlude, the New Bern area has a lot to see and do. When faced with a rainy day, or just need a break from the sun, the New Bern Fire Museum is a sure bet for an enjoyable afternoon of discovery and education.

The New Bern Atlantic Hook and Ladder Company was the first chartered fire department in the United States. The museum walks visitors through not only firefighter history, but traces the influence the Civil War had on the development of firefighting in North Carolina.

During the Civil War years, when members of the original firefighting company was away attempting to preserve the Confederacy, the community still needed protection from fires. The occupying Union soldiers formed the New Bern Steam Fire Engine Company. Once the war concluded, a staunch rivalry ensued among the two groups for decades.

Fueling the competitive rivalry was North Carolina State Firefighting Competition. Departments from across the state showcased their firefighting skills, with the two New Bern companies often ranking in the top two slots. Several Guinness Book of World Records achievement earned by either company during the late 1800's are still held today.

As the days of the Civil War moved further and further into the past, local government officials ordered the two companies to be melded into a single unit and housed inside the same department. Old rivalries die hard, and the two groups still held separate meetings inside the new building, and slid down separate slide poles when responding to a fire call. The New Bern Fire Department building from the turn of the twentieth century now serves the community as a museum, preserving the achievements and contributions of firefighters for future generations to enjoy.

The museum, which opened to the public in 1955, houses multiple interactive exhibits, and hosts special event throughout the year to raise funds for continued operation and to educate children about fire safety. Browse the offerings inside the historic building and sit inside antique fire engines, touch first generation fire gear and see how the professional of firefighting has developed. Travel back in time to the Civil War era via the photos of the area preserved behind glass displays throughout the museum. The gift shop offers souvenirs and historic works concerning firefighting and North Carolina's past.

Resources for this article include personal experience, interviews and the museum's website.