Fire Marks
Fire Marks took on popularity in Britain as a method of identifying insured homes and property in case of fire. However in the United States where volunteer fire departments were more prevalent, the volunteer groups would receive a reward or bounty of perhaps $50 for extinguishing a fire.
Such a magnificent sum in the early 1800s would often precipitate fights between competing volunteer fire groups to determine which one would have first crack at the blaze. Consequently, volunteers were often recruited based on their abilities to handle themselves in a fistfight as well as their presumed fire-fighting skills.Some units acquired a reputation for fighting well! During the Civil War, for instance, the Union officer in charge of the troop deployment at Cemetery Ridge at the Battle of Gettysburg packed the center of the defense line with a company of Philadelphia volunteer fire fighters because they were the meanest soldiers he could find!
With the advent of municipal fire departments starting around 1865, volunteer brigades and
fire marks faded from the scene. Go to our contact page and let us know if you're interested in acquiring an original
fire mark for your home.