Colonial Exhibit at New York City Fire Museum:
Television coverage from News 12 Channel's reporter John Tejada
The New York City Fire Museum is showcasing a new exhibition titled "Colonial Firefighting & The American Revolution", which explores the early days of the FDNY from 1620 to 1776. The exhibit features multimedia presentations depicting major colonial-era events and original artworks.
In addition, the exhibit displays a special replica of the Newsham Engine brought in from Colonial Williamsburg. It is a functioning model of the first fire engine that was used in New York to fight fires in the 1730s.
Bruce Twickler, the author of New York Firefighting and the American Revolution came up with the idea and organized the exhibit. The exhibition runs from March 15 to August 13 and is open Wednesday through Sunday.
NYC Fire Museum Opens Exhibition, "Colonial Firefighting & The American Revolution"
On March 15, 2023, the New York City Fire Museum launched a new exhibition, Colonial Firefighting & the American Revolution, which presents the untold story of a group of volunteers, the colonial FDNY, that stood between New York and disaster during years of rampant arson, wars for North America, and the American Revolution.
Great New York Fire of 1776 Panel Discussion
A panel discussion on the fire that destroyed 20% of New York City on September 21, 1776, just days after the British occupation. We learn how the fire started, who was responsible, and how it affected the city and the war. The panel explores the history of colonial firefighting and the role of the FDNY in the Revolution, showing how this forgotten catastrophe shaped New York's politics, society, and economy for years to come. The Great New York Fire of 1776 is no longer a lost story of the American Revolution.
Program Participants:
- Moderator: Robert W. Snyder, Manhattan Borough Historian and author of Crossing Broadway and The Voice of the City.
Panelists:
- Benjamin Carp - author of The Great New York Fire of 1776: A Lost Story of the American Revolution and professor of American History at Brooklyn College and CUNY.
- Bruce Twickler - author of New York Firefighting and the American Revolution and director of PBS documentaries Damrell's Fire and Broadside.
- Gary Urbanowicz - Honorary Assistant Chief and FDNY historian, former Executive Director of the New York City Fire Museum, author of Badges of the Bravest and co-author of The Last Alarm, and host of the "Throwback FDNY" podcast.