It's what a lot of kids want to be when they grow up, a fireman. But for some, a career in fighting fires is a reality. In Kinston, fires played a big role in the city's past; arsonists set fires across the city from 1878 to 1895, trying to destroy courthouse records. But, the Caswell No. One fire station survived the flames and is now a museum for kids of all ages to enjoy.
It's the oldest fire station in town, Caswell No. One once housed the fire department, city hall, county jail and even a stable. Inside, it holds decades old relics, and a special history that those who served there want to preserve.
Guy Basden served as a fireman in Kinston for 25 and half years, 10 of those as fire marshal. He helped save the building from being demolished in 1987, saying there's too much history here to be ignored.
"Pictures and so forth that features perhaps my generation, generations back, nozzles and so forth, bells part of the sounding system there in the fire houses."
Check out this old American LaFrance pumper; it dates back to 1922. There's much more; a fire hose, helmets, badges, and these call boxes, that tell how firemen had to respond to fires in the mid 1900’s.
"You had a fire; you go out and pull the box."
"It went to the firehouse, through the recorder it was punched out."
That recorder matched up with a number to tell you the closest intersection to the home.
"You jump in the fire engine and go and they knew exactly where to go."
“We did our jobs skillfully and took care of the fire problem."
And he hopes this museum will spark others to make a difference and help keep the history of fire fighting alive.
For more information on the museum's hours and operations, you can call (252) 527-1566.
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