Fire Hydrants of Virginia

Here is another episode in my occasional series about pretty fire hydrants (or prettily situated fire hydrants). This time, we will admire fire hydrants in the State of Virginia.

First, we visit the City of Alexandria on the banks of the ridiculously wide Potomac river. The residents of the city show their civic pride through gardening, providing a pretty backdrop for their bi- and tricolor hydrants.

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However, for reasons unknown to me, the hydrants in Old Town Alexandria sport a very dapper tuxedo palette of black and white, providing something for Fred Astaire to dance around if he ever visits.

This particular device was within spitting distance of a building once owned by John Fitzgerald, an Irishman who was a trusted aide-de-camp to George Washington. (I just had to get an Irish connection in there somehow.)

Early in its history, Alexandria had the privilege of being surveyed by a teenage George Washington. Apparently, surveying was a profession that required no formal training. If he had to meet the requirements of the profession today, the poor orphaned boy would have starved. Despite his stunted education, the man did find a more suitable career later in life. Makes me wonder why I pursued my professional qualifications…

Staying in Alexandria: How do you protect a wooden vessel? With dock hydrants and a fireboat, of course!

And here is the most bizarre hydrant I have ever seen. This stunted specimen was found at the civil war battle site near Chancellorsville, VA. It was just a hop and a jump away from where the famous Stonewall Jackson was fatally wounded, and it was also near a monument that commemorates the event.

As a non-American, I find the monuments to confederate ‘heros’ utterly bizarre. How secure (or insecure) does a country have to be to erect monuments to people who tried to destroy it? And how chilling to encounter monuments to people who fought to preserve slavery! Does the fact that they were capable militarists, fond fathers, or that they made the ultimate sacrifice for their cause make that cause any less sickening?

Whatever the circumstances, the visitor center (which presents a quirkily positive history of General Jackson) has interesting fire protection.

A famous destination in Virginia is Colonial Williamsburg. It’s an amusing place to visit. People wander around in eighteenth century garb, occupy eighteenth-century buildings, and speak with modern accents. Normal tourists direct their cameras to these anachronistic sights, but why be normal? It’s more interesting to capture the real highlight of the town – the means of fire protection!

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There was a time when the only fire fighting medium came from a well, but it was not an effective form of protection. Many hands may make light work, but wood-roofed buildings burn faster than a bucket chain can operate. Now Colonial Williamsburg, in all its restored glory, sports some very non-period fire hydrants.

To serve as a reminder of how uncontrolled fire has skewed human history, consider Williamsburg’s past. After the town of Jamestown was destroyed by fire in 1676, Williamsburg became the capital of the colony of Virginia. In turn, the Williamsburg capitol burned down in 1747. (They really shouldn’t have installed fireplaces in 1723.) The capitol’s replacement burnt to its foundations in 1832. The building seen today is a reconstruction of the 1705 building in all its wood frame glory! Another fire, people?

Why do I record fire hydrants and their placement while on vacation? Because there is beauty in the everyday, and sometimes we miss the simple things when we focus on the more exalted.

Have a look at the other posts about fire hydrants:

https://thenumerateninny.com/2019/08/14/fire-hydrants-of-ireland/

https://thenumerateninny.com/2019/09/21/fire-hydrants-of-north-america/