Union Fire Company

One of the things I enjoy most about exploring historic towns is noticing the small details that are easy to overlook. While walking through New Castle, I spotted this cast-iron plaque mounted high on the side of a brick building. At first I wasn’t sure what it represented, but I soon learned that it was a historic fire mark.

The letters “U F” stand for the Union Fire Company, one of New Castle’s early volunteer fire companies. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, homeowners and businesses often displayed plaques like this on the exterior of their buildings. The marks identified properties insured by a particular fire insurance company or protected by a local volunteer fire company. The image of the hand-pumped fire engine serves as a reminder of a time when firefighters relied on manpower, buckets, and hand-operated pumps to battle fires.

Long before modern fire departments existed, communities depended on volunteer companies to protect lives and property. These organizations became important civic institutions, fostering community spirit while providing one of the town’s most essential public services. Fire marks such as this became common throughout colonial America and can still be found on a number of historic buildings for those willing to look up.

I have learned that some of the most interesting stories are found in the smallest details. A simple cast-iron plaque no larger than a dinner plate tells the story of a community organizing to protect itself, long before the arrival of modern fire engines and municipal fire departments. It is another reminder that history is all around us, often hidden in plain sight.