Fire insurance marks were metal plaques marked with the emblem of the insurance company which were affixed to the front of insured buildings as a guide to the insurance company’s fire brigade. These identification marks were used in the eighteenth and nineteenth century in the days before municipal fire services were formed.
Subscribers paid firefighting companies in advance for fire protection and in exchange would receive a fire mark to attach to their building. The payments for the fire marks supported the firefighting companies. Volunteer fire departments were also common in the United States, and some fire insurers contributed money to these departments and awarded bonuses to the first fire engine arriving at the scene of a fire.
Firefighting used to be a private for-profit industry. In the 1800’sin cities like New York and Baltimore, there were private “clubs” or “gangs” who were in charge of putting out fires. The infamous Boss Tweed started his illustrious political career at a volunteer fire company. The first club at the scene got money from the insurance company and sometimes loot. So, they had an incentive to get there fast. They also had an incentive to sabotage competition. They also often ended up getting in fights over territory and many times buildings would burn down before the issue was resolved.
These historic c. 1850 buildings on Washington Place, between 6th and 7th Avenues, have fire insurance marks.
For Norm’s Thursday Doors 6/2/2016.
Fire Mark at 108 Washigton Place, NYC 5/29/2016
These two c. 1899 buildings (stable and studio) are on West 4th Street on the other side of the fire marked buildings.
Sherry Felix - port4u 
So interesting, I never knew about that!
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History is fun. 🙂
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Absolutely!
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Nice doors and very interesting history about firefighters. The fire station near my house may be partially closed due to budgetary problems; perhaps we may end up paying individually for fire services and I might to have to start looking for a plaque to hang 🙂
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Thank you. I hope we don’t need a fire marks again. It does seem we are moving backwards. Todays presidential race is an example. But let’s not go there 😦
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Fascinating – love the history behind doors. Now off to look at more plaques as like Jo and Janet think it’s lovely.
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Glad you like it. I usually put sources and links. The one to the fireman’s marks is a good one.
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Agree – fascinating especially that so many countries took a similar approach.
I wonder if some of the more dodgy companies deliberately started fires to encourage more to sign up?
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Very interesting bit of history – and beautiful images to illustrate this!
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Thank you Carol.
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I love the fire mark, Sherry. The doors are impressive, too.
janet
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Thanks
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It looks a lovely neighbourhood. I’d like more close ups of the plaques. That one is very handsome. 🙂
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I should have. Instead I provided a link to many more. 🙂
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Ah! Sorry- I missed that 😦
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I didn’t know this. Thanks for the cool post about fire marked doors—and the cool photos. 🙂
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Thanks Otto.
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Great photos and history. Your post reminded me of the scene in the movie ‘Gangs of New York’ when the rival fire-fighting gangs were too busy fighting over a burning building to put out the fire.
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Oh yes! I remember that.
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Fascinating history!
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Thanks.
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Thanks for sharing this Sherry 🙂
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Your welcome. I will try to find more fun door history.
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Interesting information and excellent shots. I was a fire fighter for 10 years. But always on a voluntary basis. These houses and doors could be located in England as well.
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That is commendable. There are a lot of good firefighters out there. Like the police force, a few bad ones that turn up in poor neighborhoods (see my comment about firefighters in the ’60s in the East Village).
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Never heard anything like this in my time. But the main reason could be that I was living in a small village during this time. And the voluntary fire brigade was the only one in this area. Could be different in mega cities.
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Beautiful photos, great history!
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Thank you very much.
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Thanks for the history lesson! That’s pretty interesting… firefighters fighting for business. And now we take it for granted that they will save us.
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In the 60’s some firemen had bad reputations for looting and destruction. I witnessed it the East Village. I hope that is no longer the case.
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