At the end of October, we had the pleasure of welcoming Josiah Wagener for a conservation assessment of our historic Deluge No. 1 hand-pump fire engine. His expertise will guide us in ensuring that this remarkable piece of firefighting history is preserved for generations to come.
During his visit, Josiah also shared important new historical findings. He confirmed that the Deluge is not a Newsham engine, as previously believed, but was most likely built in New York City in the latter half of the 18th century. The long-standing confusion regarding its origins stems from its 1797 purchase by the city of Schenectady. At that time, Schenectady bought two engines from New York City, one of which had documentation tracing it back to a 1741 shipment of two Newsham engines from England. Over time, the histories of these engines became intertwined, leading to the incorrect assumption that both engines sold to Schenectady in 1797 were Newsham’s. Discovering more about its origins makes this piece even more special as it may be the oldest surviving fire engine built in the state of New York!
In the coming weeks, Josiah will provide detailed cost estimates for the conservation work needed, a critical next step in planning the preservation of the Deluge. We will continue to update this page as new information becomes available.
In the meantime, we invite you to consider supporting the conservation of this remarkable piece of state and local history. Your contributions help ensure that the Deluge’s story can be shared for years to come.