Biltmore Fire Departments – A Short History Version 11.2 – March 1, 2015 Research notes by Mike Legeros



Contents 

Introduction



Part I – Biltmore Estate Fire Equipment



Part II – Fires at the Estate



Part III – Biltmore Village / Biltmore Fire Department



Part IV – Biltmore Forest Fire Department

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Part V – Map

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Part IV ‐ Sources

Introduction This document was originally conceived as a blog post. Please bear with the conversation style… Let’s take a trip to Asheville, for a historical perspective on the Biltmore fire departments of yore. The story starts with George Washington Vanderbilt III and his Châteauesque‐styled mansion that was completed in 1895. (Construction started in 1889.) With 178,926 square‐feet, it was and remains the largest privately owned house in the United States. We’re talking 250 rooms here, folks. Vanderbilt wanted to replicate the working estates of Europe, and designed the estate to include stables, farms, manufacturing facilities, and a village for its workers. He named it “Biltmore,” derived from "Bildt” (Vanderbilt's ancestors' place of origin in Holland) and "More" (Anglo‐Saxon word for open, rolling land).



Post card of Biltmore Estate circa 1900. Courtesy North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Part I ‐ Biltmore Estate Fire Equipment The house and the estate were equipped with a variety of fire protection equipment, including fire buckets, fire extinguishers, hand‐pulled and later motorized fire apparatus, a fire hydrant system with hose, and a fire alarm system. Until the organization of the Biltmore Fire Department in 1903, which was based in the village, the estate relied upon staff for fire suppression as well as the “city” fire department. The Biltmore Fire Department ceased operation in 1929 and fire protection to the estate was assumed by the newly opened Asheville Fire Station 5 in Biltmore Village. Equipment and Apparatus Early fire equipment at the estate included:   

Fire hydrants, hoses, and valves from the NY Beling & Packing Co. and the Fabric Hose Co. in New York. Twelve fire extinguishers from Stempel F. E. Manufacturing Co., NY. Plus “bucket brass spray pumps and fire extinguisher[s]” from Montgomery Ward & Co. in Chicago.

Later fire equipment included:  

Wheeled chemical extinguisher. 1957 International fire engine.

Two pieces of hand‐drawn apparatus have survived, a hand hose reel and a hand hose cart. They are presently stored in the basement of the Biltmore House. In the event of fire, the hose reel or cart would be rolled to the location of the blaze. The hose was pulled out or unwound, and connected to the nearest fire hydrant. There were apparently no connections for hose inside the house, however, such as a standpipe system. Hook and Ladders and Sprinkler Wagons Mr. Vanderbildt received many proposals for other fire equipment. In a document dated June 20, 1900, a Rumsey & Company “light village hook & ladder truck“ was proposed for purchase. No other references to the apparatus have been found. Presume same wasn’t purchased.1

                                                             1 Rumsey and other companies manufactured hand‐ and horse‐pulled ladder wagons. They carried ladders mounted on

parallel racks, and including space for storing or hanging buckets, helmets, hooks, and other equipment. These ladder trucks varied in size, with the smallest suitable for service in a village or small town. These were also called “village ladder trucks.” Larger versions carried more equipment and were suitable for service in a city. These were called “city service ladder trucks” or “city service trucks” or eventually just “service trucks.” The term became an industry label for ladder trucks of any size that carried ground ladders but were not equipped with a mechanically‐raised ladder.

In her web‐based “A Technological Tour of the Biltmore Estate,” author Sue Clark McKendree also classifies four “sprinkling wagons” as firefighting equipment. These were 600‐gallon wagons built by Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company of South Bend, IN. These were probably (certainly?) used for street maintenance and not firefighting, with the application of water used to reduce the dust raised on dirt roads. Fire Alarms In the event of a fire, the notification methods included: 

The house had an internal fire alarm system, which could be activated in any one of the six sections of the house. The alarm sounded in the Butler’s Pantry. 2



There were also telephones and speaking tubes to communicate to the Butler’s Pantry.



In the event of an emergency, it is believed the Butler would sound an alarm, which was believed to be the large bells that are located throughout the house.



As early as 1890, the Estate Manager was advised by the Brick and Tile Works supervisor that the whistle at the brickworks could be used to sound the alarm, in the event of fire.

Part II – Fires at the Estate Barn and House Destroyed On March 29, 1904, a mule barn and a house on the estate property were destroyed by fire. Reported the Asheville Citizen on May 30: “Mule Barn and Fine Residence on Biltmore Estate Destroyed “Fire did damage to the amount of $10,000 or $12,000 on Biltmore estate yesterday morning at four o’clock, burning the mule barns and the residence occupied by Bert Halyburton. It is not known how the blaze originated. “The fire started in the stables and was communicated to the residence, which was situated near the stables, by embers being carried by the wind, which, at the time of the fire, was blowing in the direction of the house. “A large number of horses and mules in the barn were in danger of being burned to death, but by hard effort employees of the estate managed to get all but two of them out of the burning structure. The two died in the flames, those who had been working to save them being forced to hear the piteous whinnying while they suffered the tortures which ended the lives.

                                                             2 At least one of the fire alarm boxes has survived. It’s located on the fourth floor and can be seen in some of the guided

tours. The manufacturer of the alarm system may have been Gamewell.

“Considerable of the feed stuffs in the barn and many farming implements were saved before the flames gained too much headway to admit of the rescue work and some of the furniture in the residence was saved. “The burned structures were built about two years ago and were modern in every way. The mule barn had a capacity for about sixty head of stock. “It is expected that the barn and residence will be rebuilt at an early date, although definite announcement to this effect was not made yesterday. “The reflection of the fire on the sky was plainly seen by early risers and late workers and for a time it was feared that Biltmore House was in flames or some of the more valuable property.” Another stable building burned in May 1906. Reported the Wilmington Morning Star on May 27: “Deputy Commissioner of Insurance F. M. Jordan is spending a few days at Biltmore investigating the fire there last week that burned down one of the stables of the Vanderbilt estate and caused the death of a number of horses. This is the second burning of a barn on this site within two years. It is believed that the fires were both of incendiary origin.” Fire at the Saw Mill On May 18, 1906, the Vanderbilt’s sawmill burned. Reported the Asheville Times on May 19: “Biltmore Saw Mill and Several Thousand Feet of Lumbered Burned “The saw mill which belong to George W. Vanderbilt, together with 100,000 feet of lumber, was destroyed by fire which was discovered yesterday afternoon about 1 o’clock. The flames started from a spark from the engine room, and rapidly spread over the lumber yard. A telephone message was sent to the fire department, and although the members made a quick response, they were unable to save the mill. “Twenty‐two hundred feet of hose was laid from a water plug to the burning buildings, but the water pressure was so weak that it was of but little assistance. By the time the water was turned on, the walls of the building had fallen. The firemen then began moving the lumber which had not been burned and they succeeded in saving several thousand feet. “There are several buildings within a few feet of where the flames were blowing madly, and it was only the heroic work of the firemen that saved them from being destroyed. At 4 o’clock, the firemen left, being satisfied that the flames were under control. “The loss will probably amount to $4,000, and is fully covered by insurance. “Mrs. Vanderbilt was at the Biltmore house when the telephone message, announcing the fire, was received, and she hurried to the scene, and took a great deal of interest in the work of the firemen.”

The Gazette News of May 19, 1906, added these details about the fire. The wood and lumber yard was located near the lower entrance to the estate: “The Asheville fire department was called on for aid and Chief Bernard and eight of the firemen immediately left for the scene with the new hose reel and 2,000 feet of hose. After laying the hose it was found that several hundred more hose was necessary to reach the nearest hydrant and a telephone message was sent to headquarters for the old reel. Five hundred feet more of hose was sent from headquarters and at 2:30 [p.m.] one stream was playing on the burning wood and lumber. The Biltmore fire company was on the scene and gave aid. Those working at the fire succeeded in throwing a goodly quantity of wood and lumber from the piles and it is thought that this will be saved. “Mrs. Vanderbilt was on the scene shortly after the fire was discovered and personally directed the efforts of the volunteer fire‐fighters, making suggestions to the men that were rapidly followed. At 3:30 [p.m.] the yards were still burning. For a time it was feared that a residence nearby would be destroyed, but this was saved.” The New York Times also reported about the fire on May 20: “Fire on the Biltmore Estate “Mrs. George W. Vanderbilt Directed Fight of the Firemen “ASHEVILLE, N.C., May 20 – A fire on George W. Vanderbilt’s Biltmore estate to‐day destroyed the lumber yard and several thousand feet of lumber. “Two fire companies were called out, Mr. Vanderbilt’s own company at Biltmore and the Asheville department. It was stubborn fire, and it was five hours before the flames were checked. Mrs. Vanderbilt was present and made suggestions to the firemen. Mr. Vanderbilt was off on a fishing trip. “The firemen will be liberally rewarded for their brave fight, which saved much property.” Deerpark Barn In 1910, the Deerpark barn burned, which was a calving barn. An account by dairyman M. Rickman Capps describes the fire: “I was about five years old when I heard my dad and his brother Wake talking about going to see the disaster. I asked if I could go with him. Papa agreed, and I shall never forget that experience. It was approximately a mile and a half. I had to run all the way to keep up. When we arrived at the scene, it was almost dark and it wasn’t a pretty sight. Smoke was still rising from the heap of charred carcasses and smoldering pieces of lumber. No one spoke for a long time. I think they were stunned … The men who were working there at the time

told how they would lead the animals out and they would turn and run back into the burning barn and many of [the animals] were burned up.”3 Stock Stable Burns On May 21, 1913, the stock stable at the estate burned. Reported the May 21 edition of the Asheville Gazette‐News: “Stable and Eight Animals Burned “Stock Stable of Biltmore Estate Entire Destroyed – Eight Head of Stock Saved “The mule stable of the Biltmore estate was entirely destroyed by fire just before daylight this morning. Four horses and four mules were killed by fire. There were 16 animals in the stable, eight mules being saved. It is not known how the fire originated, but the fact that the stable was burning was made known by an automatic fire alarm, and several men rushed to the building to attempt to save the mules and horses. The fire had gained great headway before they arrived, and it is said that if men had arrived three minutes later they could not have saved the animals they did. It has not been learned what the damage will amount to.” The Asheville Fire Department was dispatched at 5:50 a.m., as recorded in this log book entry:

Carriage House Fire Sue Clark McKendree also wrote this account of a fire at the Carriage House, which was located beside the Estate: “Around midnight on Sunday, April 8, 1917, a fire broke out in the wood storage room below the Carriage House. It was thought that the fire was extinguished with little or no damage. However, two hours later lights went out in the House and the night watchman found that the West Wing of the Stable was on fire, ‘the flames and smoke appearing from the rooms of the Men’s Quarters. The Asheville Fire Department was summoned, and the                                                              3 This account is incorrectly cited as the 1913 fire, in the Citizen‐Times story of January 5, 2015, “Fires at Downton Abbey

& Biltmore: Which was malicious?”

fire was extinguished, but not before very considerable damage was done the Carriage Room, Stairway leading to the Men’s Quarters, and to the sleeping rooms and bath room. The fire burned through to the garret or gable, and three small openings were burned in the roof.” The fire resulted in $5,000.00 worth of damage. A subsequent investigation led to the conclusion that the second fire was set intentionally, although it does not appear that anyone was ever arrested for setting it.” Reported the Asheville Times on April 9, 1917: “$1,000 Fire at the Biltmore Mansion “Stables in West Wing Were Badly Damaged by Early Morning Blaze – Origin Unknown” “The first fire that has ever occurred in any section of the Biltmore mansion was discovered this morning at 2 o’clock, in the section of the west side of the mansion, which is used for a garage and stables. The fire, which was of unknown origin, did damage which was estimated at $1,000, part of this being caused by the water, which was used to extinguish the flames. “The fire was first discovered at midnight, last night, by the watchman and he extinguished the blaze. This fire was in the wood basement of the stables. Later, however, it was discovered that the fire had climbed up the walls of the room, and reached the second floor and the garret. Chief Wood, with six men and the red motor truck, responded to a call for help from the estate employees, shortly after 2 o’clock, and remained on the job until 6 o’clock this morning. “Arriving at the mansion, [the firemen?] found that the smoke was so dense it was almost impossible for the men to enter the building. After much work the firemen entered the main floor, extinguished the fire there, and then found their way to the garret. Two lines of hose were used, the hose of the estate being utilized by the firemen and a line of chemical hose was used. “Mrs. Vanderbilt’s automobiles, which were in the basement of the wing where the fire occurred, were uninjured by the fire and water.” Reported the Asheville Citizen on April 9, 1917: “Early Morning Fire on Biltmore Estate “Building Used For Garage Reported Ablaze at 2:30 This Morning – Fire Department Responds “Fire, of undetermined origin, was discovered at 2:30 o’clock this morning on the second floor of the garage at the Biltmore estate. The blaze had gained considerable headway before being seen by the night watchman, who promptly telephoned to the Asheville fire department. One of the department motor trucks with six men was dispatched on the long run to the estate and in the meantime, the servants and employees of the estate fought the fire as best the could.

“The garage is situation near the west end of Biltmore house and is built of stone. It is stated that no one was injured. The extent of the damage could not be ascertained this morning.” Estate Superintendent Chauncey Beadle believed the fire was sent intentionally, and as a retaliation. He wrote: “The cause of the fire is obscure, but could consistently be attributed to carelessness, were it not for the convictions which each day grow stronger, that the second fire was not a normal sequence of the first — but a distinct and separate unit of trouble and disaster. “At first we attempted to trace the origin of the second fire by electrical wire disturbance from the basement fire. This theory finds no support, and the opinion of myself and others now is, that the fires were incendiary and malicious.” The fire occurred soon after Edith Vanderbilt offered the estate as a training ground for troops during World War I. Chief Curator Darren Poupore, in an Asheville Citizen‐Times story on January 5, 2015, speculates: “The U.S. had joined the Allied Forces to fight in World War I just two days earlier, on April 6. “At the time there were a lot of isolationists and pacifists who opposed the war.”

Part III ‐ Biltmore Village and Biltmore Fire Department Biltmore Village was created by George Vanderbilt in the late 1890s as a “company town” for the workers of the Biltmore Estate. Originally known as the town of Best, it was located adjacent to the estate’s main entrance and offered rental properties for workers. The village was planned and designed to resemble an English country village. There was a school, a church, a hospital, a railroad depot, and other services. Plus a fire department. All the buildings were owned by the estate. The village was sold in 1917, after the damage of the great flood of 1916.4 The trustees of the estate also sold a portion of estate land as a residential section that became Biltmore Forest. We’ll learn more about that in a moment. Biltmore Village was annexed by Asheville in 1929. The Biltmore Fire Department was established in 1903 and served both the village and the estate. It operated both hand‐pulled and motorized apparatus. The village was equipped with fire hydrants, as well as a dedicated fire station building.

                                                               4 On January 2, 1922, the city of Asheville purchased the Biltmore Village water, sewer, and light systems. The transaction was “consummated with the Appalachian Realty company” which purchased the village from the estate “many months ago.” Source: Asheville Times, January 3, 1922.

Miller’s Asheville City Directory, 1929

Apparatus Four pieces of fire apparatus are recorded as operated by the Biltmore Fire Department: Make and Model

Specifications

Notes

1900s Hand hose wagon

550 to 600 feet 2 ½‐inch hose

Listed in 1907, 1917 Sanborn map.

1900s Hand hose reel

300 feet of 2 ½” hose

Listed in 1917 Sanborn map.

1916 American LaFrance Type 20 combination hose and chemical car, #10755

30 gallon chemical tank, 200 feet chemical hose, 1,250 feet of 2 ½” hose.

Originally owned by Manning, South Carolina. Shipped to Manning on February 24, 1916. Traded in by Seagrave circa February 1925. Sold to Biltmore on February 27, 1925.

1926 Ahrens‐Fox M‐S‐4 bilttriple combination, #1708

750 GPM pump, 80 gallons6

Purchased new. Contract signed on September 29, 1925. Transferred to Asheville FD in 1929. Later sold to private owners, and currently owned by Ken Menke in Webster Groves, MO.

Fire Department 

The Biltmore Village fire station was built in 1902. It was designed by Architect Richard Sharp Smith.



The fire department began operation in 1903. The first equipment was a hose wagon and 1,000 feet of 2 1/2‐inch hose. It was called the Biltmore Fire Department.



J. C. Lipe was the first Fire Chief. He served until the time of the great flood in 1916.



Sanborn Maps in June 1907 describe the fire department as volunteer with fifteen men, one hand hose wagon with 600 feet 2 ½‐inch cotton rubber‐lined hose, 400 feet of hose in reserve, one small extension ladder, and six Stempel three‐gallon chemical extinguishers.



The volunteers were alerted to fires by a bell at the station.

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The 1907 maps do not display a fire station building. There is a one‐story horse shed on Brook Street in the location of the fire station shown on the 1917 map.



Sanborn Maps in January 1913 repeat the same description of the fire department.

                                                             5 These chemical/hose cars had Herschell‐Spillman four‐ or six‐cylinder motors.

6 Source for the eighty‐gallon tank capacity, you ask? The amount isn’t listed in the original specification document that has been preserved. The Asheville Fire Department summary in the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of 1938 provides the information on tank capacity.



The 1913 map again does not display a fire station building. The one‐story horse shed is still displayed on Brook Street, where the fire station will be shown in the 1917 map.



Sanborn Maps in November 1917 describe the fire department as volunteer with ten men, one hose wagon with 550 feet of 2 ½‐inch hose, one hose reel with 300‐feet of 2 ½‐inch hose, and eight three‐gallon chemical extinguishers distributed around the village.



The 1917 map shows a small single‐story fire station located on Brook Street on the south side of the street, midway between Plaza and Swan streets.

Fire Department in 1925 

Sanborn Maps in 1925 describe the department as volunteer, with a chief and fifteen men. They had one American LaFrance auto truck with 1,250 2 ½‐inch cotton, rubber‐lined hose in good condition, and a 30 gallon chemical tank with 200 feet chemical hose. Fire alarm by telephone. The village had a population of 250, and a water system supplied from Asheville, with twenty‐two hydrants in village.



By that time, the fire department had relocated to a larger engine house adjacent to the west side (rear) of the two‐story Biltmore office building at the southwest corner of Lodge and Plaza.



In September 1925, the fire department signed a contract to order a 1926 Ahrens Fox M‐S‐4 pumper.

Fire Chiefs The fire chiefs included:   

J. C. Lipe – 1903 to 1919 F. W. Kenny – 1920 R. D. Murray – 1928.

North Carolina State Fireman’s Association Statistician Reports Year Pop.

Prop. Value

Cost of FD

Value of FD Prop.

Water Works

Hydrants

Service Pressure7

Fire Pressure

Hose Carts

Volunteers

Hose

1910

173





1,500

Gravity

13





2

15



1911

200





1,500

Gravity

13





1

2

800

1912

200





1,500

Gravity

13





1

21

800

1913

200





1,500

Gravity

14





1

21

800

1914

200

200,000



1,500

Gravity

14

75

200

1

21



1915

175

200,000

160

2,500

Gravity

14

75

200

1

20



                                                             7 The pressure in the fire hydrants could be increased from 75 PSI (service pressure) to 200 PSI (fire pressure), to provide more pressure for firefighting.

Asheville Fire Station 5 

In 1929, the fire department disbanded after the city assumed fire protection.



The city also took ownership of the 1926 Ahrens Fox pumper.



The city also purchased the property of the Biltmore office building and adjoining garage (fire station).



The top floor was converted to living space for firefighters. The bottom floor was rented to the Biltmore Company.



Station 5 opened on August 29, 1929. Within a few years, the rear garage was enlarged and expanded by the WPA.



By the 1950s, the Ahrens Fox pumper was a reserve engine housed at Station 4.



In May 1975, a new Station 5 opened at 1074 Hendersonville Road. The Biltmore Company later repurchased the property and removed the garage.



The 5,622 square‐foot office building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Images

“Biltmore Fire Station – July 1902” – Drawing by Richard Sharp Smith – Courtesy UNC Asheville, Richard Sharp South Collection



“Biltmore Fire Station – July 1902” – Drawing by Richard Sharp Smith – Courtesy UNC Asheville, Richard Sharp South Collection

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map – 1917

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map – 1917

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map – 1925

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map – 1925

  Biltmore office building in 2006. The fire station was located on the right side in this picture – Mike Legeros photo

  Asheville Station 5 in the 1930s (?). The house to the left is the present Biltmore Office building

  Asheville Station 5 in the 1930s (?)

Catalog image of American LaFrance Type 20 combination chemical and hose car

Biltmore Village’s 1926 Ahrens‐Fox in recent decades, after sale to private owners and restoration – Date and source unknown

Ken Menke photo

Asheville Fire Department fleet including the 1926 Ahrens Fox. Circa 1930s

Asheville auxiliary firefighters during World War II with the 1926 Ahrens Fox at Old Station 3 on Haywood Road

Part IV ‐ Biltmore Forest Fire Department Following the great flood of 1916, which damaged both Biltmore Village and the Biltmore Estate, plans were made to reduce the cost of maintenance on both properties. Some 1,500 acres of the estate bordering Hendersonville Road were deemed unprofitable. They were split from the estate and developed as a planned residential community. It was chartered as a town in 1923, named Biltmore Forest. Apparatus Biltmore Forest owned and operated five pieces of fire apparatus: Make and Model

Specifications

Notes

1919 Packard fire engine





1929 American LaFrance Type 91 triple combination, #L‐324

500 GPM, 80 gallons chemical

Shipped 2/27/29 Sold to Nebo, North Carolina

1959 Ford F‐750/American LaFrance pumper

750 GPM, 500 gallons



1980 Ford C/Grumman Firecat F‐10 pumper, #16048

1000 GPM, 1000 gallons

Sold in 1995 to Crestline VFD in Moore County, placed in service as Engine 722.

1987 Ford C/Pierce pumper, top‐ mount, #E3647

1250 GPM, 750 gallons

Sold in 1995 to Crestline VFD, placed in service as Engine 721.



History – 1920s to 1940s 

In 1921, a public works building was constructed and housed the first fire engine, a fire engine built on a 1919 Packard chassis.



In 1923, the town was chartered. The first meeting was held at the real estate office on March 20, 1923. At the meeting, a committee was formed for (creating?) the fire department.



The combination fire and police station was located at 348 Vanderbilt Road, on a circular drive south of Busbee Road.



It was designed by Charles Parker in 1923, and included an upstairs apartment for the Chief of Police. The first chief was C. W. Hensley, who earned $90 a month.



The two‐story building included an apparatus bay on the left side of the ground floor.



Sanborn Maps of July 1935 describe the fire department as having five paid men and thirty volunteers that operated a “No. 91” American LaFrance triple combination pumper, 500 GPM, with 1,000’ 2 ½” hose and an 80 gallon chemical tank with 200’ chemical hose. Plus 1,000’ 2 ½” hose in reserve. The water supply included forty‐two double hydrants, powered by a town‐owned “water works.” The town’s population was 310, with ten miles of paved streets, and grades described as “very hilly.”



The fire/police station was expanded, likely between 1935 and 1940 as a WPA project. A second apparatus bay was added as a single‐story addition on the left side of the structure.



The original bay inside the original structure was subsequently converted to office or living space, perhaps around this time period but no later than March 1964.



The volunteer firefighters were alerted to fires by an air horn at the fire station.

North Carolina State Fireman’s Association Statistician Reports Year Ending Oct 1

Population

Volunteers

Paid

Combination Pumpers

Pumping Capacity

Hose

Alarm System

Total Value Equip

1938

600

17

1

1

250

2,250

Gamewell

4,000

1940

476

20



1

250

2,250

Gamewell

4,000

1941

476

20



1

250

2,250

Gamewell

4,000

1942

476

20



1

750

2,250

Gamewell

5,000

1943

476

20



1

750

2,250

Gamewell

5,000



History – 1950s and 1960s 

With the development of countywide fire department dispatching in the 1950s or 1960s, Biltmore Forest Fire Department was numbered county Station 13. The department was dispatched in the same fashion as other county fire departments.



Though they received incoming mutual aid, Biltmore Forest firefighters were restricted to responding to inside their corporate limits.8



Reported the Asheville Times on July 29, 1959, the town purchased a new fire engine the day before. The 1959 Ford F‐750/American LaFrance cost $14,000, had a 750 GPM pump, carried 500 gallons of water, and was equipped with 200 feet of 2 ½‐inch hose, 400 feet of 1 ½‐inch hose, and 200 feet of high pressure booster hose. It also carried three ladders and two air packs. The “all aluminum” ladders were a 35‐foot extension ladder, a 14‐foot roof ladder, and a 10‐foot folding ladder.



In addition to the regular town police and fire department employees, the town had eight volunteer firefighters.



In 1964, the fire department had ten to twelve volunteers. There were also six police officers who doubled as firefighters, reported the Asheville Times on March 30, 1964.



By that time the town’s “service department” was also housed in the fire/police station. The building was “open around the clock.”

History – 1970s and 1980s 

In 1977, the police/fire station was again expanded. A second single‐story apparatus bay was added on the right side of the structure.



On December 28, 1980, fire destroyed a home at 2 Amherst Road. This prompted some changes. Reported in the Asheville Citizen on January 22, 1981, the following were planned: o

town would hire a retired person to answer phones at the police/fire station, so police/firemen were “free to act when needed”

o

town would order a new fire truck and keep the old one

o

police/firemen would start and inspect each truck at the start of each shift, instead of weekly.



In 1981, the police and fire departments were separated. At night, a firefighter acted as dispatcher. This was the first time the dispatcher wasn’t a combination fireman/police officer.



By February 18, 1981, reported the Asheville Citizen‐Times, the town had eleven police‐ firemen, who rotated shifts, with three working days, and three working nights, and three off a week at a time. The Chief and a Captain were available when needed.

                                                             8 With the exception of the Biltmore house and estate. They responded as automatic aid with the city of Asheville, as late as the early 1990s, and perhaps much earlier.



The 1980 Ford/Grumman and 1987 Ford/Pierce were housed at opposite ends of the building. The Pierce was operated by the paid personnel, and their bay was equipped with a motorized overhead door. The Grumman was the volunteer truck, and their bay had a manually operated overhead door.

History – 1990s 

The fire department ceased operation in 1995. By that time, call volume was (or had always been) very light. One call per month, maybe.



In the later/final years, the fire department included both Public Safety Officers who were combination police/firefighters, and five paid firefighters.



The paid personnel worked seven 12‐hour days, seven 12‐hour nights, then off for seven days.



The Fire Chief reported to the Police Chief. This was a change from prior years and decades, when the Fire Chief and Police Chief were the same person.



After the fire department was disbanded, the single‐story apparatus bay on the left of the building was closed and converted to office/living areas.



From 1995 to 2013, the Asheville Fire Department provided contracted fire protection to the town.



The Skyland Fire Department is currently contracted, and completed a new fire station at 7 Valley Springs Road as a joint venture between SFD and Biltmore Forest in 2014.

Fire Chiefs The town’s fire chiefs have included: Roy R. Creasman

1930 to 1934

Roy R. Creasman

1940

Roy R. Creasman

1950

Paul T. Jones

1963

Kenneth R. Ledford

1980 to 1982

William David Warren

1989 to 1991

Gene Ray

1995

Images

  Miller’s Asheville City Directory, 1963

Asheville Citizen Times – March 30, 1964

October 2006 – Mike Legeros photo



Gamewell Diaphone horn atop fire station building in 2014

Gamewell Diaphone air pressure gauge inside fire station building in 2014

Gamewell fire alarm system transmitter in 2014 9

                                                             9 Fires were reported by telephone, in person, or by radio from patrolling police officers. The volunteer firemen were

alerted by a horn on the fire station’s roof. The dispatcher referred to a list of “virtual alarm boxes” that were numbered with single, double, or triple digits. Each “virtual box” corresponded to a specific location in town. The closest “box” to the fire was determined and a corresponding brass “code wheel” was selected. To “transmit” the alarm, the wheel was placed





Uniform patches, undated

Window sticker at fire station

                                                                                                                                                                                                 inside the transmitter and the gear‐driven mechanism “read” the code. This generated a series of on and off electrical signals that activated the alarm horn. For example, “box 25” would be signaled by two horn blasts, a pause, and then five horn blasts. After a longer pause, the signal repeated up to three times, so the firemen were certain of the location.

1919 Packard fire engine in front of the Biltmore Estate’s real estate office– Courtesy University of North Carolina Asheville / Ball Collection

Factory photo of a typical American LaFrance Type 91 triple combination.

1929 American LaFrance Type 91 brochure cover.

1959 Ford/American LaFrance – Asheville Citizen Times, July 29?, 1959

1980 Ford/Grumman as Crestline Engine 722 – Bill Frederick photo

1987 Ford/Pierce as Crestline Engine 721 – Bill Frederick photo



Part V ‐ Map



Part VI – Sources Primary sources for this document include: 

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“Asheville – The Ideal Autumn and Winter Resort City,” electronic edition, by Southern Railway Passenger Traffic Department, http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/asheville/asheville.html Biltmore Estate by Richard Morris Hunt, http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/ncarolina/biltmore/biltmoreintro.html Biltmore Forest – Our History ‐ Our Lives by David Schulman, http://biltmoreforesttownhall.homestead.com/History_of_Biltmore_Forest_Text.pdf Buncombe County fire apparatus historical information by Micah Bodford Buncombe County fire department research by Brian Lawrence Firefighting in Buncombe County by Brian Lawrence, Arcadia Publishing, 2014 “Interpreting fire safety systems” from “A Technological Tour of the Biltmore Estate” by Sue Clark McKendree, http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/biltmore‐techtour/1313 John Peckham’s American LaFrance database via the Society for the Preservation & Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America (SPAMFAA), http://www.spaamfaa.org/alfresources2.html North Carolina Firemen’s Association documents, including Secretary and Statistician reports.

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Oral Histories PatchGallery.com Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Youngstown Fire Forum thread on Asheville fire apparatus, http://yngfire.com/index.php/topic,11406.0.html

Newspaper Articles 

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Asheville Citizen o May 30, 1904 – “Mule Barn and Fine Residence on Biltmore Estate Destroyed” o May 19, 1906 – “Biltmore Saw Mill and Several Thousand Feet of Lumber Burned” o April 9, 1917 – “Early Morning Fire on Biltmore Estate” Asheville Citizen‐Times o July 29, 1959 – “Ready for Action” (photo with caption) o March 30, 1964 – “24‐Hour Protection” (photo with caption) o January 22, 1981 – “Biltmore Forest Plans Changes in Fire‐Police Setup” o February 18, 1981 – “Town of Biltmore Fire Department Called Inadequate” o January 5, 2015 – “Fires at Downton Abbey & Biltmore: Which was malicious?” Asheville Gazette‐News o May 19, 1906 – “Wood and Lumber Yard is Burned” o May 21, 1913 – “Stable and Eight Animals Burned” Asheville Times o April 9, 1917 – “$1000 Fire at the Biltmore Mansion” o January 3, 1922 – “Biltmore Purchases Water, Sewer, and Light Systems” New York Times o May 20, 1906 – “Fire on Biltmore Estate” Wilmington Morning Star o May 27, 1906 – Fire at stable