The Brockton Fire Museum

The Brockton Fire Museum was originally planned in 1983 with the purchase of the “PROTECTOR #3” from the Protector Club on Herrod Ave. in Montello.  The hand operated fire engine dates back to 1856 and was built by William Jeffers Company of Pawtucket R.I.  The 134 year old machine served the Town of North Bridgewater from 1861 until the town became the City of Brockton at which time it was kept in reserve.  In 1889 the large class A hand pumper was sold to the Protectors Club, a Brockton Veterans Firemen’s Association where it saw plenty of action on the many fields, parks and fairgrounds throughout New England. The “Protector” competed with other machines of its same class, winning many awards.  The “Tub” can be operated by thirty to as many as fifty people (men), who still talk about their experience and memories in manning the brakes (rails) through the years. In the late 1950’s the machine was put away in its own garage and remained there until 1967 when the Brockton Firefighters rescued and restored it.