Below is a detailed history and timeline of the Wenham Fire Department.
ENON
1849: A new engine (Enon 1) which is at the top of the hill, was purchased for $900.00 from Edward Lesley in Newburyport. The Town built another engine house for Enon 1. The Enon 1 building was later used as a Legion Hall from 1936 to 1945. It was then used for the water department until it was sold to the Wenham Historical Society and Museum for one dollar in 1982. The Enon building is now part of the Wenham Museum complex.
There were no records found of an organized Fire Department. It was assumed that neighbors helped each other out with bucket brigades.
- 1821 – The Town ordered the Selectmen to procure six ladders and three fire hooks. Ladder houses were built. One ladder house was built where the Church was at the four corners and the other was built at the intersection of Topsfield Rd. and Maple St. The ladder house was removed from the Church yard in 1924.
- 1835- The first Fire Company was organized. An engine was purchased by subscription, costing $200.00. The Fire Company disbanded and they sold the engine a few years later.
- 1836 – Voted to raise $100.00 to build an engine house and the necessary apparatus for the engine.
- 1836 – Selectmen appointed four Fire Wardens John S. Bomer, William Bomer, Ezra Lummus and Smith Gallop and furnished them with their badges and all necessary apparatus.
- 1849 – Another Fire Company was organized. It was run by B.C. Putnam the forman. There were 48 members. A new engine (Enon 1) which is at the top of the hill, was purchased for $900.00 from Edward Lesley in Newburyport. The Town built another engine house for Enon 1. The Enon 1 building was later used as a Legion Hall from 1936 to 1945. It was then used for the water department until it was sold to the Wenham Historical Society and Museum for one dollar in 1982. The Enon building is now part of the Wenham Museum complex.
- 1849 – Nathaniel Kimball’s barn burned on April 19th.
- 1878 – Abraham A. Fiske house and shoe factory burned on January 10th and is now a residence at 191 Main St.
- 1887 – Another Fire Company was formed and we can’t find what happened to the previous one organized in 1849. There were 40 members. Otis Brewer was the foreman.
- 1889 – Annual budget of the Fire Company was $107.98 and they had 23 members
- 1901 – A Fire house was built at 148 Main St. (next to the post office). It had 2 bays, one for Enon1 and one for a new steam powered pumper.
- 1906 – Wolcott H. Johnson was in charge but not formally referred to as Chief.
- 1912 – Horace Durgin, Chief
- 1913 – Ivory Quimby, Engineer
- 1916 – L.S. Lord, Chief
- 1918 – James E. Kavanagh, Chief
- 1918 – A Ford triple combination was purchased for $2700.00. Twenty- seven cisterns were built in different parts of town to supplement the lack of water. There were 60 calls a year, mostly grass fires.
- 1921 – Frank Welch, Chief
- 1922 – Thomas Luxton, Chief
- 1925 – Horace A. Killam, Chief
- 1928 – A Steward chemical Tank truck was purchased. They would mix Bicarbonate of soda and sulfuric acid to start a chemical reaction to shoot the water.
- 1930- The Town purchased a Howe Piston Pumper.
- 1938 – A Cab Dodge 150 gallon-a-minute pump with a 150 gallon tank was purchased.
- 1940 – Frank Sargent became Chief. He was a member from 1907 to 1962.
- 1940 – The Fire Department had 34 calls.
- World War II – With many members signed up and off to war the department was forced to use many substitutes and under the careful supervision of Chief Frank Sargent he was able to maintain an excellent auxiliary force. Chief Sargent kept a watchful eye on burn permits greatly reducing the number of fires.
- 1947 – The Town’s central water system was built.
- 1947 – A Diamond T 600 gallon-per-minute truck with a 250 gallon tank was added.
- 1955 – Gordon College moved to Town.
- 1956 – A 750 Ford with a 500 gallon tank was bought by the Town.
- 1962 – John Luxton was appointed Chief. He Joined in 1931 and retired in 1978.
- 1964 – The current Fire and Police station was built at 140 Main St.
- 1965 – An International 150 gallon-per-minute pumper was purchased. It was later converted to a front end 750 gallon-per-minute pump.
- 1969 – A new building to house Enon 1 was built by members of the Fire Department. The building was removed on October 24, 2006 to make room for a new police station. Enon 1 was placed in a museum in Newbury, MA.
- 1972 – – A Ford 1000 gallon-per-minute with a 500 gallon tank was purchased.
- 1978 – Donald J. Killam was named Chief.
- 1980 – The Medical Aid program started.
- 1981 – A Mack pumper with a 1250 gallon-per-minute pump was purchased. It was traded for a new Quint truck in the summer of 2006.
- 1984 – The Towns first ladder truck was purchased. This was a used vehicle and was renovated by the members of the Wenham Fire Department. Ending cost to the Town was $20,000.
- 1986 – A G.M.C. three-quarter ton pick-up truck was converted to a brush truck.
- 1987 – First full time Fire Prevention Officer position established and Richard Brown filled the position.
- 1989 – A Mack 1250 G.P.M. pump with a 500 gallon water tank was purchased.
- 1996 – Peter Burnham became Chief.
- 1996 – Frank Eldridge became Chief
- 1997 – A Freight Liner rescue truck was added to the fleet.
- 1999 – The Board of Fire Engineers was abolished. A part time “weak chief” was appointed by the Board of Selectmen. Steven Brown was appointed Chief in July.
- 2000-A K.M.E. 1250 G.P.M. pump with 750 gallon water tank was purchased.
- 2001 – Calvin Perkins was appointed Chief and retired December of 2005.
- 2006 – Robert Blanchard was appointed Chief.
- 2006 – A 75 foot mid-mount ladder with a 500 gallon water tank was purchased for $505,000.00
- 2018 – Stephen B. Kavanagh was appointed Chief. This marked the 100th anniversary of when his Grandfather, James E. Kavanagh, was Chief in 1918.
- 2021 – A Sutphen pumper was purchased through Town meeting for $480,000 to replace our Engine 4.