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Georgetown Firehouse and Tower

ALPINE HOSE NO. 2
Firehouse and Tower
1875/1880

This building is the principal visual
and historical symbol of Georgetown.
It embodies the rich history of the
Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department,
the organization whose unbroken service
since 1870 is largely responsible for the
intact fabric of the town. 

In 1875 the town provided the newly-
formed Alpine Hose Company No. 2 with
this firehouse. The second floor served as
a meeting room, and the ground floor still
houses the hose carts. It soon became
apparent that the company needed a new,
louder bell and a tower for drying hoses.
In 1880 William Hamill, local mining
magnate and long-time supporter of the
fire department, donated a 1,200-pound
bell, and the town built a 72-foot tower.
 

Submitted by John Bradley JEB

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