Historic Peekskill

Salvaging History

Nearly 50 members and friends of Centennial Hose gathered on Sunday evening, August 24, to lay a memorial wreath at the site of the collapsed fire house and commemorate the historic building and those who served there for over 80 years. The photo at the lower right is a panoramic photo taken after the wreath-laying ceremony.

In an e-mail, Patricia Esposito, president of Centennial Hose, sent thanks for the support of Peekskillians:

"On behalf of the members of Centennial Hose we would like to thank all of you who have put so much effort in trying to 'save' our old firehouse."

While looking at the wreckage of the building, Historic Peekskill board member Tony Seideman discovered that the frontispiece from the firehouse, although fractured, seems salvageable. His photo, below left, shows a portion of the frontispiece in the rubble pile.

Although the original plans for creating a museum from the firehouse at Lincoln Plaza have been ruined by the building's collapse, losing Centennial Hose doesn't mean we shouldn't have a firehouse museum on the site. Indeed, plans floated by the City of Peekskill's leadership to consolidate the city's firehouses make the need for a museum all the more urgent. We need a place to preserve and honor our city fire department's history. A museum that is fully integrated with the Lincoln Depot Museum can create a truly synergistic effect.

Centennial Hose: R.I.P.

Among the projects with which Historic Peekskill has been deeply involved over the past months and years has been the effort to preserve Centennial Hose, the nineteenth-century firehouse located on Peekskill's riverfront.

Centennial Hose was built in 1890, and in its 90 years of service to the city and its residents, the firehouse was home to generations of Peekskill's bravest. Two young firefighters from Centennial Hose were among those who answered the call to the disastrous 1918 Fleischmann Plant fire and died in the effort.

Because of the hard work and devotion of countless people in city government, the fire department, Historic Peekskill, and state historic preservation staff, plans were in place and grant monies secured to move Centennial Hose from its longtime site -- which lies in the path of the Route 9 bridge replacement project now underway — to a new site on the riverfront.

Today, all of those plans were dashed. Centennial Hose collapsed during the early moments of the moving process. What was once a beautiful brick building is now a pile of rubble.

The Westchester Journal News has posted an article about the collapse here. News12 Westchester has been running the story at the top of each half-hour's evening news, complete with heartbreaking as-it-happens video of the collapse.

Below is a panoramic photo of the building, raised up in preparation for moving -- taken only a few days ago. (Photo courtesy Tony Seideman.)

After we're able to stop shaking our heads in disbelief, Historic Peekskill will gather to talk about possible ways we can work with city officials to salvage some portion of the building's remains. Perhaps we can create a memorial to the firefighters who died in the line of service in the early days of Centennial Hose, and to this beautiful and historic building, now lost forever.

Welcome!

Welcome to Historic Peekskill!

Historic Peekskill Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support preservation efforts and educate people about the history of Peekskill, New York, a 350-year-old Hudson River town that has one of the region’s richest inventories of historic homes and architectural styles. Located an hour north of New York City, the city of 23,000 has become a magnet for artistic and cultural creativity. Peekskill has a designated downtown historic district and numerous buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.

On these pages, we'll keep you posted about current local preservation efforts and projects, educational programs, practical information, sources for preservation services and materials, and opportunities to get involved.

We're passionate about preserving Peekskill's architectural heritage — because history can't wait.