During the grand opening of the CT Firemens Historical Society's museum in Manchester CT, members welcomed a brand new centerpiece to the museum; a 1911 Water Tower that served the City of Hartford CT for approximately five decades. HFD Water Tower 1 was built by American Automatic, and was delivered to the Hartford Fire Department on September 11th, 1911. It is one of 11 built that year, and is #5 in the building sequence. The tower was originally housed with Engine #3 on the corner of Market and Front Streets. Originally drawn by three horses, it was motorized by adding a tractor to it in 1915. The tractor is an American-British (AB) that was manufactured in Pawtucket RI. It utilizes a gas engine that turns a generator, which supplies the drive power to the wheels. The mast is 55 feet high, and the body has nine 3 inch supply intakes. It was retired from the HFD in 1958. It sat under a cover of sorts until 2003, when the tower was donated to the CFHS. It was then moved to Middletown CT, and delivered into the hands of Middletown firefighter Bill MacInerney, who at the same time was restoring Hartford's first horse-drawn steam engine. MacInerney painstakingly researched and rehabbed Water Tower 1 to its original glory. It's debut at the museum was amazing! The tower was placed on static display for all to see, then later that afternoon, HFD Water Tower 1 was pressed into service, flowing water from the mast mounted master stream as well as a fixed monitor at the rear of the apparatus. One could only imagine the stream if there were multiple lines running into the piece! It was a real treat to see an authentic WORKING piece of CT fire history alive and well in the 21st century.