The inspiring fireman statue which tops the drinking fountain on Main Street next to the Slatington Public Library is going to get some badly needed tender loving care to head off the ravages of Father Time.

We think that preserving this iconic monument, probably the most evocative tribute to the spirit of our area's volunteerism, is right and proper.The statue, which depicts a volunteer firefighter carrying a child on his left arm and holding a lantern in his right hand, was dedicated on April 10, 1910, by Slatington's Hose Co. No. 1. Standing 12 feet tall, the statue was bought from J.W. Fiske Iron Works of New York City for $700, with much of the money raised through donations from local residents. The accompanying water fountain was manufactured by the E.T. Barnum Co. of Detroit.The water fountain remains at its location, awaiting the return of its partner statue.Like many monuments of its time, the firefighter with child does not memorialize a dead firefighter, but, instead, honors the living. According to speakers at the time of the dedication, the statue is a symbol of service, vigilance and humanity.There are about 200 of these types of statues spotted around the country, mainly in the mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Most of these statues either showed firefighters holding a hose while fighting a fire or holding a child in the act of saving their life.This type of statuary began showing up during the late-19th and early-20th centuries, primarily in town squares and in cemeteries to honor firefighters who had fallen in the line of duty. They were most often made of stone, marble, or, as the Slatington monument, zinc, and stamped sheet metal.According to a report at the time of the original dedication, "The zinc and cast-iron structure arrived in Slatington in mid-November. It was connected to the water main on Main Street. The statue was dedicated after the last snowflake fell in April while the Slatington, Emerald and Slatedale bands provided music for the crowd. American flags had covered the tall structure before the great unveiling that afternoon."The monument also was intended to be a public water source on Main Street. The fountain that is part of the monument was also formerly used as a water source for horses with a smaller one for dogs.A car had crashed into the monument in 1979, necessitating its repair and restoration. Donations poured in from borough residents and those in surrounding communities. A large crowd attended the rededication on July 19, 1980.The statue has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1981 and has been registered with the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture since 2002. In 1964 when Slatington observed its centennial anniversary, the fireman's statue was its official symbol.The Fireman's Drinking Fountain is one of only two firefighting statues in the Lehigh Valley, with the other one also located in Slatington, which may be the only community in the United States with two of these types of statues.To make it more interesting, local legend tells us they were erected by competing fire companies.Area historians believe that out of jealousy because Vigilant Fire Co. No. 2, which had recently erected its own fireman's monument in Union Cemetery, Hose Co. No. 1 decided to attach a fireman's statue to the top of the fountain.For a while, it appeared as if the statue would not be located at its current site. An injunction was filed in 1910 to try to prevent its location there, but a judge ruled in favor of the fire company.Lucky for us, because it seems unthinkable now that it could be located in any other more prominent location.The site seems barren without this symbol which has come to identify Slatington. We can't wait until the firefighter with child is back on duty.By Bruce Frassinelli |

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