{"id":115647,"date":"2024-10-15T11:05:38","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T15:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/?p=115647"},"modified":"2025-03-25T15:44:28","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T19:44:28","slug":"witb-fire-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/witb-fire-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s in the Box? Fire Safety and Prevention at the National Homes"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kb-image115647_e6a6ad-a1 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image115647_e6a6ad-a1\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Feature.png\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Feature.png?w=1280\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Feature.png?w=1280\" alt=\"\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-115636\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271280%27%20height%3D%27720%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201280%20720%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271280%27%20height%3D%27720%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Feature.png?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Feature.png?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Feature.png?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Feature.png 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While fire safety may not come to mind when you think of the efforts made to care for our nation&#8217;s Veterans, fire prevention in the context of VA has a rich history. In fact, during the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/exhibits\/national-homes-postcards\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"104292\">period <\/a>(1865-1930), fire safety would have been one of the largest items of concern for the <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/featured-stories\/054-1870-annual-report\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"115203\">leadership<\/a>, staff, and the thousands of Veterans who resided in the Homes. But to understand how this came to be, we must first understand the historic context the National Homes existed.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image115647_5bdd95-67.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image115647_5bdd95-67 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:547px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image115647_5bdd95-67.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image115647_5bdd95-67 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image115647_5bdd95-67 figure{max-width:547px;}.kb-image115647_5bdd95-67 .image-is-svg, .kb-image115647_5bdd95-67 .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image115647_5bdd95-67 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image115647_5bdd95-67\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Great-Chicago-Fire-LOC.jpg\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"711\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Great-Chicago-Fire-LOC-e1729000876752.jpg?w=940\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Great-Chicago-Fire-LOC-e1729000876752.jpg?w=940\" alt=\"Lithograph depicting the Great Chicago Fire.\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-115638\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27940%27%20height%3D%27711%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20940%20711%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27940%27%20height%3D%27711%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Great-Chicago-Fire-LOC-e1729000876752.jpg?resize=300,227 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Great-Chicago-Fire-LOC-e1729000876752.jpg?resize=600,454 600w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Great-Chicago-Fire-LOC-e1729000876752.jpg?resize=768,581 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Great-Chicago-Fire-LOC-e1729000876752.jpg 940w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Lithograph depicting the Great Chicago Fire. Produced in 1871 by Gibson and Co., Cincinnati. (Library of Congress)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From October 8 &#8211; 10, 1871 the city of Chicago experienced one of the most catastrophic fires in American history. The impact of this fire and others like it has shaped the ways we practice safety to this day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While many cities and states were commemorating Fire Prevention Day as early as 1911 (the 40th anniversary of the Chicago Fire), it was not until 1919 that the National Fire Protection Association, and its Canadian sister organization, began lobbying for an official day of recognition for fire safety and prevention. This led to a proclamation by President Woodrow Wilson of Fire Prevention Day in 1920, and eventually President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the Sunday to Saturday period in which October 9 falls to be Fire Prevention Week in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Imagine what it must have been like to prepare a campus largely constructed of wooden-frame buildings meant to house hundreds of <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/100-objects\/object-63-disabled-union-veterans\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"114073\">disabled<\/a>, often elderly men for the possibility of fire. Now take those concerns and multiply across 11 different facilities, and you\u2019ll be left with a pretty decent idea of how the <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/featured-stories\/054-1870-annual-report\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"115203\">Board of Managers<\/a> of the National Homes must have felt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Luckily, their preparations are recorded in documents that help the historians, archivists, and curators at the <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/va-history-center\/\">National VA History Center<\/a> reconstruct the story of those who served our nation\u2019s Veterans during this formative period. In the 1890 Annual Report of the Board of Managers, Central Branch Governor Col. Harris details his inspection of several of the buildings on campus and remarks on the need for fire safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He admits that prior to having seen them himself, he hadn\u2019t realized how gravely the wooden barracks that housed the Veterans needed fire escapes. These sorts of design measures would have gone a long way to promote fire safety and preparation, and represent a very early step in the development of fire services in VA.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image115647_aa3fd7-1a .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image115647_aa3fd7-1a\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Excerpt-1890AR.png\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"487\" height=\"231\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Excerpt-1890AR.png?w=487\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Excerpt-1890AR.png?w=487\" alt=\"Excerpt from the 1890 Annual Report.\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-115646\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27487%27%20height%3D%27231%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20487%20231%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27487%27%20height%3D%27231%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Excerpt-1890AR.png?resize=300,142 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Excerpt-1890AR.png 487w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 487px) 100vw, 487px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Excerpt from the 1890 Annual Report. Note the Governor\u2019s observation of how fire safety can go hand-in-hand with Veteran comfort. (VA)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We know from Historic records and photographs that several of the National Homes maintained their own fire stations, staffed with civilian fireman and resident Veterans on work duty. At the Central Branch in Dayton, the earliest record of the Home Fire Department comes from J.C. Gobrecht\u2019s 1875 <em>Guide-Book to the Central Branch<\/em>, in which he describes the \u201cvery handsome\u201d steam fire engine that was named in honor of Louis B. Gunkel, the first Governor of the Central Branch, as well as the fire brigade itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our next line of evidence for fire preparation comes from an insurance company, of all places. Starting in the late 19th century and continuing until the 1970s, The Sanborn Map Company began producing lithographed city maps that were color coded and annotated to allow property owners and fire insurance companies to establish their liability to fire damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These maps often recorded the stock of equipment on hand to fight fires, and in many cases even shows where inside the building certain prevention tools were stored. This gives us an exclusive look into exactly how the National Homes were preparing for this very real threat. One of the other great benefits of these maps is that we can use them in tandem with other historic records to better understand the ways that fire prevention methods changed over time.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image115647_6002a3-cf .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image115647_6002a3-cf\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-1887.jpg\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"781\" height=\"336\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-1887-e1729000954820.jpg?w=781\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-1887-e1729000954820.jpg?w=781\" alt=\"1897 Sanborn Map depicting buildings at the Central Branch.\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-115641\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27781%27%20height%3D%27336%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20781%20336%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27781%27%20height%3D%27336%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-1887-e1729000954820.jpg?resize=300,129 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-1887-e1729000954820.jpg?resize=600,258 600w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-1887-e1729000954820.jpg?resize=768,330 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-1887-e1729000954820.jpg 781w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 781px) 100vw, 781px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>1897 Sanborn Map depicting buildings at the Central Branch, NHDVS. (Library of Congress)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, we know that in 1880 there were no civilian firefighters employed at the home, and that the fire brigade would have been comprised of resident Veterans volunteering or assigned the task as part of their work duty. The first real numbers concerning the Veterans serving on the Home Fire Department aren\u2019t published until the 1888 Annual Report, which tells us that just seven residents of the Home were working as firemen that year. <\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image115647_c95381-4c.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image115647_c95381-4c .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:335px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image115647_c95381-4c.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image115647_c95381-4c .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image115647_c95381-4c figure{max-width:335px;}.kb-image115647_c95381-4c .image-is-svg, .kb-image115647_c95381-4c .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image115647_c95381-4c .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image115647_c95381-4c\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Memorial-Hall-plan.png\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1412\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Memorial-Hall-plan.png?resize=1071,1400\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Memorial-Hall-plan.png?resize=1071,1400\" alt=\"Comparison of Memorial Hall as it appears in Sanborn Maps, 1886.\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-115639\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271080%27%20height%3D%271412%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201080%201412%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271080%27%20height%3D%271412%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Memorial-Hall-plan.png?resize=229,300 229w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Memorial-Hall-plan.png?resize=459,600 459w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Memorial-Hall-plan.png?resize=768,1004 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Memorial-Hall-plan.png?resize=1071,1400 1071w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Memorial-Hall-plan.png 1080w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Comparison of Memorial Hall as it appears in Sanborn Maps, 1886 (top) and 1897 (bottom). The date on the map 1880 refers to the original date of construction. (Library of Congress)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About a decade later, the 1897 edition of the Sanborn map shows us that the Home Fire Department was staffed by 50 men and one steam fire engine (likely the same engine described by Gobrecht), and that these men were equipped with six hose reels containing a total of 2,950 feet of hose, nearly the length of 10 football fields! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The brigade was also in possession of four hand extinguishers and a hook and ladder truck which equaled to 100-feet of ladder. In the case of Memorial Hall, the map details exactly the kinds of changes in fire prevention that the Home took in the years between the two maps being produced. The 1897 map shows that they have added additional spools of hose, in addition to the 50-foot hoses on the first floor and on the second-floor gallery that were present earlier in 1886. This version also contains 100-foot spools of hose directly connected to hydrants in the basement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of the best evidence of fire prevention in the National Home Period comes from the Mountain Home Branch, located in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/mountain-home-health-care\/locations\/james-h-quillen-department-of-veterans-affairs-medical-center\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Johnson City, Tennessee<\/a>. While Sanborn maps for other branches are fragmentary or nonexistent,  the entire Mountain Home campus was mapped and shows the types of preventative measure details that the branch took in the first decades of the 20th century. This resource proved invaluable as I began researching an object that speaks directly to the efforts of the National Homes to prevent fires, efforts that continued in full force with the creation of the <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/featured-stories\/va-created\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"104138\">modern VA<\/a> in 1930.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedgallery .kb-gallery-type-masonry.kb-gallery-id-115647_1b42ff-dd{margin:-10px;}.kb-gallery-type-masonry.kb-gallery-id-115647_1b42ff-dd .kadence-blocks-gallery-item{padding:10px;}.kb-gallery-id-115647_1b42ff-dd .kadence-blocks-gallery-item .kb-gal-image-radius, .kb-gallery-id-115647_1b42ff-dd .kb-slide-item .kb-gal-image-radius img{border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;;}.kb-gallery-id-115647_1b42ff-dd .kadence-blocks-gallery-item .kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner .kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption{color:#000000;}.kb-gallery-caption-style-cover-hover.kb-gallery-id-115647_1b42ff-dd .kadence-blocks-gallery-item .kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner .kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption, .kb-gallery-caption-style-below.kb-gallery-id-115647_1b42ff-dd .kadence-blocks-gallery-item .kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner .kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption{background:#f5f5f5;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-gallery-wrap-id-115647_1b42ff-dd alignnone wp-block-kadence-advancedgallery\"><ul class=\"kb-gallery-ul kb-gallery-non-static kb-gallery-type-masonry kb-masonry-init kb-gallery-id-115647_1b42ff-dd kb-gallery-caption-style-below kb-gallery-filter-none\" data-image-filter=\"none\" data-item-selector=\".kadence-blocks-gallery-item\" data-lightbox-caption=\"true\" data-columns-xxl=\"2\" data-columns-xl=\"2\" data-columns-md=\"2\" data-columns-sm=\"2\" data-columns-xs=\"1\" data-columns-ss=\"1\"><li class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner\"><figure class=\"kb-gallery-figure kb-gallery-item-has-link kadence-blocks-gallery-item-has-caption\" style=\"max-width:253px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1908.jpg\" class=\"kb-gallery-item-link\"><div class=\"kb-gal-image-radius\" style=\"max-width:253px;\"><div class=\"kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic\" style=\"padding-bottom:118%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1908.jpg?w=253\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1908.jpg?w=253\" width=\"253\" height=\"300\" alt=\"Mountain Home map, 1908.\" data-full-image=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1908.jpg\" data-light-image=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1908.jpg\" data-id=\"115642\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-115642\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27253%27%20height%3D%27300%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20253%20300%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27253%27%20height%3D%27300%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1908.jpg?resize=253,300 253w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1908.jpg?resize=506,600 506w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1908.jpg?resize=768,911 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1908.jpg?resize=1180,1400 1180w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1908.jpg?resize=1295,1536 1295w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1908.jpg 1613w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 253px) 100vw, 253px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Sanborn Maps from the Mountain Home Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1908. (Library of Congress)<\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/li><li class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner\"><figure class=\"kb-gallery-figure kb-gallery-item-has-link kadence-blocks-gallery-item-has-caption\" style=\"max-width:253px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1920.jpg\" class=\"kb-gallery-item-link\"><div class=\"kb-gal-image-radius\" style=\"max-width:253px;\"><div class=\"kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic\" style=\"padding-bottom:118%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1920.jpg?w=253\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1920.jpg?w=253\" width=\"253\" height=\"300\" alt=\"Sanborn Maps, 1920.\" data-full-image=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1920.jpg\" data-light-image=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1920.jpg\" data-id=\"115643\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-115643\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27253%27%20height%3D%27300%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20253%20300%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27253%27%20height%3D%27300%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1920.jpg?resize=253,300 253w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1920.jpg?resize=506,600 506w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1920.jpg?resize=768,911 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-map-MH-1920.jpg 807w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 253px) 100vw, 253px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Sanborn Map from 1920. (Library of Congress)<\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This 100-foot linen fire hose comes from the Mountain Home Branch and was manufactured by Charles Niedner and Sons in the year 1959. It is folded and stored inside a painted iron rack. When researching the artifact, I quickly realized that it was not one hose, but two connected by brass couplings. <\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image115647_20c126-45.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image115647_20c126-45 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:550px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image115647_20c126-45.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image115647_20c126-45 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image115647_20c126-45 figure{max-width:550px;}.kb-image115647_20c126-45 .image-is-svg, .kb-image115647_20c126-45 .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image115647_20c126-45 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image115647_20c126-45\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Firehose-MH-1959-.png\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Firehose-MH-1959-.png?resize=1400,788\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Firehose-MH-1959-.png?resize=1400,788\" alt=\"1959 fire hose.\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-115637\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271920%27%20height%3D%271080%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201920%201080%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271920%27%20height%3D%271080%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Firehose-MH-1959-.png?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Firehose-MH-1959-.png?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Firehose-MH-1959-.png?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Firehose-MH-1959-.png?resize=1400,788 1400w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Firehose-MH-1959-.png?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Firehose-MH-1959-.png 1920w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>1959 Charles Niedner and Sons Fire Hose originally used inside a building at Mountain Home. (VA)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While we did not unravel the hose to obtain an exact measurement, the consensus from historic and contemporary resources is that 50 feet is a standard measurement for fire hoses that has been followed at least since the 1880s. With the two hoses linked together by their couplings, that gives us a hose measurement of 100 feet, exactly the length of hose described on the Sanborn Maps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, the maps from Johnson City tell us that as early as 1908, \u201cAll main buildings have vert. pipes and supply with 1 \u00be inches hose each floor\u201d, referring to the diameter of the brass coupling that connects the hose to the water supply. This means that the hose could have conceivably come from any of the buildings on campus; and while the hose was manufactured in 1959, it is likely that the rack it sits inside was around for several decades before.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image115647_e38c48-0c.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image115647_e38c48-0c .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:170px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image115647_e38c48-0c.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image115647_e38c48-0c .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image115647_e38c48-0c figure{max-width:170px;}.kb-image115647_e38c48-0c .image-is-svg, .kb-image115647_e38c48-0c .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image115647_e38c48-0c .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image115647_e38c48-0c\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Vertical-pipe-scaled.jpg\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Vertical-pipe-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Vertical-pipe-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A vertical water pipe dating to 1933 as it appears in VAHO headquarters.\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-115635\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271440%27%20height%3D%272560%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201440%202560%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271440%27%20height%3D%272560%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Vertical-pipe-scaled.jpg?resize=169,300 169w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Vertical-pipe-scaled.jpg?resize=338,600 338w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Vertical-pipe-scaled.jpg?resize=768,1365 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Vertical-pipe-scaled.jpg?resize=788,1400 788w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Vertical-pipe-scaled.jpg?resize=864,1536 864w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Vertical-pipe-scaled.jpg?resize=1152,2048 1152w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Vertical-pipe-scaled.jpg 1440w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>A vertical water pipe dating to 1933 as it appears in VAHO headquarters- it is believed to be the same type of pipe described in the Sanborn Maps and would have been paired with a linen hose like the one found at Mountain Home. (VA)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Interestingly, the measurement of the hose coupling in our collection is actually a little smaller- with a diameter of only 1 1\/2 inches. I wondered why this was and assumed that at some point in between 1920 (the last map that we have from Mountain Home) and 1959, the regulations for the size of hose couplings must have changed. After spending an afternoon staring at the fire insurance maps, I left my lab and came face-to-face with a piece of equipment that held the answer to this question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An unassuming vertical pipe capped with a brass coupling has been on the third floor <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/curator-corner\/moving-up\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"114590\">Building 126<\/a> since 1933, the year the building was constructed and presumably, the year the coupling was created (the brass is stamped with the year of manufacture). I have walked past this pipe dozens of times without giving it any thought at all, until I realized that this was the very same kind of installation described on the Sanborn Maps. <\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image115647_9b863c-e0.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image115647_9b863c-e0 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:450px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image115647_9b863c-e0.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image115647_9b863c-e0 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image115647_9b863c-e0 figure{max-width:450px;}.kb-image115647_9b863c-e0 .image-is-svg, .kb-image115647_9b863c-e0 .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image115647_9b863c-e0 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image115647_9b863c-e0\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-1908.jpg\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"948\" height=\"634\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-1908.jpg?w=948\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-1908.jpg?w=948\" alt=\"Detail from 1908 Sanborn Map of Mountain Home.\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-115640\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27948%27%20height%3D%27634%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20948%20634%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27948%27%20height%3D%27634%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-1908.jpg?resize=300,201 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-1908.jpg?resize=600,401 600w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-1908.jpg?resize=768,514 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Sanborn-1908.jpg 948w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 948px) 100vw, 948px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Detail from 1908 Sanborn Map of Mountain Home. The line \u201cV.P. 100\u2019 1 3\/4\u201d EA. FL.\u201d refers to vertical pipes and 100 foot hose that was available on each floor. (Library of Congress)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even on the earliest map, the abbreviation \u201cV.P.\u201d was present, followed by hose measurements. On later maps, the abbreviation was written out as \u201cVertical Pipe\u201d, but I still didn\u2019t quite understand what that meant. It wasn\u2019t until I was observing the pipe coupling and saw the measurement \u201c1 1\/2\u201d stamped in the brass that I realized that these were the very same kinds of pipe that would have accompanied the hose in our collection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While we do not know exactly when the shift from 1 3\/4 inch couplings to the 1 1\/2 inch couplings that we see in the 1959 hose, the fact that the vertical pipe from 1933 has the later measurement tells us that this shift likely began in the 1930s, possibly in tandem with the transition of the National Homes into the modern VA.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image115647_76f1e4-c2 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image115647_76f1e4-c2\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Fire-brigade-e1729001112451.png\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Fire-brigade.png?resize=1400,423\" alt=\"The Central Branch Fire Department as it appeared in 1915.\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-115644\" \/><\/a><figcaption>The Central Branch Fire Department as it appeared in 1915. Note the ladder trucks and hose reels as referenced in the Sanborn Maps. (VA)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As is so often the case here at the VA History Office, the past and the present are not nearly quite so distant as it may seem. The fire hose and vertical pipe stand as testaments to the evolving nature of fire prevention as a fundamental part of Veterans care. While these artifacts may date outside of the timeframe of the National Home Period, their place in the historic context of fire management shows us that practices that began during the early decades of the century continued for much longer, just as the facilities that were originally the National Homes continued providing life-changing care for Veterans through the years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fire safety may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Veteran care, but during the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers period (1865-1930), it was a critical concern. With campuses largely constructed of wooden-frame buildings, housing thousands of often elderly and disabled Veterans, the risk of fire was ever-present. Leaders of the National Homes were keenly aware of this danger, as reflected in their efforts to establish early fire safety protocols. <\/p>\n<p>Throughout the late 19th century, the National Homes developed fire departments that were often staffed by Veteran residents, and the Central Branch in Dayton even had a steam fire engine. Maps from this era, produced by the Sanborn Map Company for fire insurance purposes, reveal detailed records of fire prevention equipment and strategies used at the Homes. These records provide us with a rare glimpse into evolving fire safety measures in the late 19th and early 20th Century, all part of a collective effort to ensure the well-being of the many Veterans living there. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":115636,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[27,23,17,138,28,127],"class_list":["post-115647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-curator-corner","tag-civil-war","tag-national-home-for-disabled-volunteer-soldiers","tag-national-va-history-center","tag-u-s-presidents","tag-veterans-administration","tag-whats-in-the-box"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/witb-fire-safety\/","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"What&#8217;s in the Box? Fire Safety and Prevention at the National Homes","url":"http:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/witb-fire-safety\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/witb-fire-safety\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Feature.png?w=300","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/CC019-Feature.png"},"articleSection":"Curator Corner","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Department of Veterans Affairs (smw)"}],"creator":["Department of Veterans Affairs (smw)"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"VA History","logo":""},"keywords":["civil war","national home for disabled volunteer soldiers","national va history center","u.s. presidents","veterans administration","what's in the box"],"dateCreated":"2024-10-15T15:05:38Z","datePublished":"2024-10-15T15:05:38Z","dateModified":"2025-03-25T19:44:28Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"What&#8217;s in the Box? Fire Safety and Prevention at the National Homes\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/department.va.gov\\\/history\\\/witb-fire-safety\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/department.va.gov\\\/history\\\/witb-fire-safety\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/department.va.gov\\\/history\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/10\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/CC019-Feature.png?w=300\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/department.va.gov\\\/history\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/10\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/CC019-Feature.png\"},\"articleSection\":\"Curator Corner\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Department of Veterans Affairs (smw)\"}],\"creator\":[\"Department of Veterans Affairs (smw)\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"VA History\",\"logo\":\"\"},\"keywords\":[\"civil war\",\"national home for disabled volunteer soldiers\",\"national va history center\",\"u.s. presidents\",\"veterans administration\",\"what's in the box\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2024-10-15T15:05:38Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-15T15:05:38Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-25T19:44:28Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/department.va.gov\/p.js"},"meta_box":{"external_links":"0","endorsement":"0","subheading":"","featured_image_alt_text":"Fire safety and prevention at the National Homes","byline":"Gage Huey","author_title":"Museum Collections Manager, National VA History Center","external_source":"","external_source_url":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115647"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115647\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115658,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115647\/revisions\/115658"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}