Front row, left to right, the three officers with special badges on their hats: Sargeant Harris Head, Chief Alonzo Bowman, Deputy Chief Patrick H. Cusick

The engine, purchased by the town in 1839 from the W. C. Hunneman Co., represented an important advance over the bucket-brigade methods that had prevailed to date. It was a suction-type engine capable of drawing water from streams and other water sources and then propelling it through a hose. The purchase also presented the opportunity to break the existing sharing of fire-fighting resources with Roxbury with the creation of the Brookline Engine Co. #1.

The town’s first steam-powered engine, purchased in 1873. Steam-powered pumping of water represented an important improvement over the hand-pumping that was previously required. This photo appeared as part of this article in the March 29, 1956 issue of the Brookline Citizen:

Former Resident Identifies First Brookline Fire Engine
In the 250th anniversary issue of the CITIZEN we used a picture which we had been able to identify only as the first steam fire engine owned by Brookline. Found in the files of the public library, there was no further identification to be had there.
Chief George L. Gettings of the fire department became interested and searched old scrapbooks of the fire department without being able to unearth any further material. We did find advertising pictures of both the Amoskeag and the Hunneman machines but a good deal of comparison with the photograph didn’t convince either Chief Gettings or the anniversary issue editor that we were safe in making a “statement”. There are, after all, too many fire buffs among us these days!
The following very nice letter from Mr. Alfred P. Waterman, who was born in the house still standing at 20 Aspinwall Ave. in 1873, not only answers the question we posed but provides the gratifying information that the citizen “gets around”. Mr. Waterman writes from his present home at 3142 13th St N, St Petersburg, FL:
“I have been reading with much interest the 250th anniversary number of the CITIZEN and wish to congratulate all who had a part in its publication. Having been born in Brookline and having lived there from 1873 to 1938, I found many things in it which were very familiar to me.
Regarding the item on the fire department – the Joseph Thomas Waterman mentioned was my father [ed. The 1865 creation of " Good Intent Hose Co." heralded a much more sophisticated approach to fire fighting in the town and the first Board of Fire Engineers was created to oversee those efforts. J. Thomas Waterman was a carpenter who was appointed to the board.] and I know from my family that he went to New Hampshire and gave the order for this engine to the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. so the engine was an Amoskeag.
He was a member of the Good Intent Hose Company of that time and I believe you will find in the Brookline Town Report of that year about the purchase of this piece of apparatus. If I can be of any further assistance in giving old Brookline information, especially the section from Pond Ave. to Coolidge Corner, please let me know.”
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

The new Station D at 827 Boylston St. opened December 8th, 1930. It was built to address the issue of inadequate coverage of the rapidly-growing area west and south of Chestnut Hill Ave. and replaced the old Station D. across the street at 796 Boylston St. The new station was equipped with three pieces of equipment: a new 85-foot aerial ladder truck, a new hose tender, and a rebuilt Engine #4 that had been housed in the old station across the street.

On the left is Engine #4 which was crewed by Thomas J. Burke, captain; Thomas J. Grennan, lieutenant; Alexander G. DeLorie, George H. Dunn, John J. Costello, James L. Love, Thomas J. Mahon, Robert J. O’Connor, William H. O’Connor, Michael F. Tonra, hose men.

On the right is Ladder #3 which was crewed by Patrick H. Kirrane, Richard E. O’Day, lieutenants; John L. Fay, John H. Hinchley Jr., Frank X Love, John M Mealey, John H. Mitchell, John E. Patterson, James Priestly, Michael A. Rourke, ladder men; Thomas Curry, Daniel F. Donovan, Joseph P. Harrington, Patrick J. Hogan, Francis H. Norton, hose men

Photo by Partridge, Boston

The original Station D fire house shown here was located at 796 Boylston St. just east of Reservoir Rd. and was replaced in December, 1930 by the new building across the street at 827 Boylston St. which remains in service today.

Rear row left to right:

• William Francis Norris, hose man (identified in 2022 by a grandson). He emigrated from Ireland and worked for the fire department from 1903 to 1941. In early 1905, he was transferred from Station E in Coolidge Corner to Station D (ref. Brookline Press Jan. 27, 1905, pg. 5). He remained living on today’s Leverett St. in Brookline Village despite the remove from Station D.
• James Brutcher, Jr., Driver
• Martin J. Dasey, driver

Front row left to right:

• Daniel G. McNamara, Lieutenant
• William J. Stitt, Captain
• James Christopher Lyons, Engineer of the steam engine. He started as a hose man at the new fire station in Washington Square when it opened in late 1899. By 1901, he was working as an engineer for steam engine #1 at Station D. After living at several locations near the fire station, he, his wife, and four children settled at 771a Boylston St. He died from nephritis, at age 42.

[Source: James Christopher Lyons Family]

[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

On the left the rear of 41 Clark St. can be viewed.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Note the slide coming from the second floor and the quote from Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” engraved above.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Built in 1825 on Walnut St. Served as Brookline’s first high school from 1843-1856. Purchased by the Unitarian-Universalist First Parish in 1890.

Held in town hall. The large posters illustrate the sites of the various proposals being voting on.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]