Honey Brook >> In the 24 years that Tim Hennessey has represented the residents of Pennsylvania’s 26th District, he has appeared at numerous public events. But the one he attended on Saturday, Aug. 5, was special.
Hennessey was one of several invited guests who spoke during Honey Brook Borough’s and Honey Brook Fire Company’s 125th anniversary celebration. And, he told the assembled audience, “I have a special reason for being here today. My wife Carol’s great-great grandfather and his cousin were two of the founding members of Honey Brook Fire Company,” said Hennessey.
Carol’s forebears were among a group of citizens, including members of the Honey Brook Borough Council, who met Aug. 8, 1892 at the school on the corner of Main and Walnut Streets to discuss the formation of the Honey Brook Fire Co.
Almost to the day, 125 years later on Aug. 5 at 1 p.m., the house siren at the Honey Brook Fire Company station on Firehouse Lane sounded, signaling the start of a parade commemorating the anniversary event. During the hour-long parade, 125 pieces of firefighting apparatus from Chester, Lancaster, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties rolled through the community, starting on Supplee Road and proceeding through the center of town.
Along the parade route, spectators lined the sidewalks, most standing, some seated on lawn chairs. A sunny sky and slightly cool temperature set the stage for ice tea and soda. There was applause from the parade watchers as their favorite fire companies went by.
When the last piece of equipment had rolled by, the parade watchers descended upon the fire company’s station house where they congregated on the firehouse apron in anticipation of further activities.
Neil Vaughn, president of the Chester County Fire Chief’s Association, and George “Beau” Crowding, deputy director of fire services in Chester County were the master of ceremonies for the day’s events.
Both men stood on a long wooden platform, addressing the crowd that stood huddled together in front of them. Seated behind Vaughn and Crowding, on brown, metal folding chairs, were the invited guests including local and state dignitaries, and officers and administrative members of the Honey Brook Fire Company. Addressing the crowd were Honey Brook Mayor Chris Mulhall, U.S. Representative Pat Meehan, State Senator John Rafferty, Honey Brook Township Supervisor John McHugh and State Representative Tim Hennessey
Trophies were then handed out to the fire companies that won in the 16 parade categories.
After the speeches, a ceremony marking the housing of Honey Brook Fire Company’s entire fleet of firefighting apparatus was held. Housing is a tradition in the volunteer fire company service where the trucks are manually pushed into the fire station three times: once for God, once for Country, and once for the fire company.
