White Horse Fire Company Donates Antique Engine to Local Museum

The 1953 Ward LaFrance Engine Departs for its New Home at the New Jersey Fire Museum

New Jersey’s fire history is being preserved as one of Hamilton’s oldest
operating antique fire engines was handed over to the New Jersey Fire Museum on March 30th.

Members of the White Horse Fire Company along with members from the New Jersey Fire Museum were on site to transfer ownership of the engine. Members of the community were on hand to view the WHFC Antique and bid farewell at Station 16, located at 19 Locust Avenue in Hamilton.

The transfer of ownership to the New Jersey Fire Museum, which is located in Allentown, will ensure the continued legacy of the antique engine.

The 1953 Ward LaFrance will be housed and displayed alongside such historic collections as the 1960 Mack C model pumper, 1951 Ward LaFrance, as well as turn of the century hand-pump and hose carriages. The WHFC antique engine will be on view for public display during regular museum hours.

During Operation Santa.

The engine was actively used by the White Horse Fire Company from 1953 to 1965. Since 1986, the antique engine had been owned and operated by the WHFC’s volunteer-based 750 Club, founded by Joseph Marcucci, Sr. and named for its 750 gallons per minute pump.

Most recently it has been featured in parades, including WHFC’s 75th, 85th, 90th, and 100th Anniversary Parades, and winning many trophies and awards throughout the region. Most notably, the antique has been used as a sleigh for Operation Santa, the district’s community holiday tradition for over 32 years.

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