Section # 2 Glenside Fire Company & Montier
This is Rey’Na, I hope you’re enjoying this tour so far. I’m a Studio Art major and I’m excited to share some information I discovered here.
Once you pass Lismore Avenue, you will see a red-brick building with big garage doors. This is the Glenside Fire Company. The fire station was founded in the year of 1900 and is over a hundred years old. It is completely composed of volunteer firefighters who are certified in multiple fields and trained with specific skills, such as identifying hazardous chemicals in the air, helping citizens trapped in vehicles, and assisting the local police and EMS workers. In 1938, it officially became recognized as the first organized fire school in the community for volunteers. Amber is one of those volunteers; we were pleasantly surprised to discover that she is an Arcadia University alumna!
Amber jokes that she joined the firefighters on a whim. However, ever since she was young, she knew that she wanted to help the community and ensure their safety. In addition to serving at this fire station, she also volunteers at Edgehill and Abington fire stations. Because there are not many female firefighters, Amber believes that she is setting the bar with her performance. Just recently, she became the first female firefighter at the company who qualified to drive a fire truck and she has become a mentor to other female firefighters. Although the firefighting field is heavily male-dominated, Amber said that her colleagues have been very supportive. More importantly, when she gears up, she is just one of the many firefighters, ready to protect people from dangerous circumstances. Amber has been a volunteer firefighter since 2019. In the past 3 years, she has put out around a hundred fires. Although she's never rescued cats out of a tree, she did save squealing pigs from a burning house.
Now, pass the Glenside Fire Co, keep walking west, and take a left onto Lynwood Avenue. In about 400 ft, you will see Montier Road on your right. It is named after the Montier family, who founded the Free Black Settlement. The Montier family are descendants of Humphrey Morrey, the first mayor of Philadelphia. They became one of the very first black families in history of the U.S. to own land. It was unprecedented for an african american family to have that level of independence in the 1700s. The Montiers and their descendents continued to work towards empowering the black community and some of the family’s more well known members include Cyrus Bustill, one of the founders of the Free African Society, and the political activist and musician Paul Robeson.
Passing Montier Rd, stay on the left side of Lynwood Avenue, and as the sidewalk disappears you will find yourself walking into a piece of meadow. Compared to the concrete, the grass absorbs more impact from your body, making each step much softer, and quieter. Let’s slow down a little bit, and be mindful of our steps. If you want your steps to reach farther, you need to bend your knees before you can stretch your legs. Plant one heel first, from back to front, and when your body moves forward, gradually shift your weight to the sole and then to the big toe. Using your big toe as an anchor, push off the earth, then lift another foot. One leg at a time, step by step. Maybe you feel like a little pony, excited to tap the ground, and create your own rhythm, wandering around this green-colored land. You might see a bird, somewhere on a tree, with a red crest on its beak. When the wind blows, the bird spreads its wings, and flaunts its bright yellow feathers underneath.
Once you pass Lismore Avenue, you will see a red-brick building with big garage doors. This is the Glenside Fire Company. The fire station was founded in the year of 1900 and is over a hundred years old. It is completely composed of volunteer firefighters who are certified in multiple fields and trained with specific skills, such as identifying hazardous chemicals in the air, helping citizens trapped in vehicles, and assisting the local police and EMS workers. In 1938, it officially became recognized as the first organized fire school in the community for volunteers. Amber is one of those volunteers; we were pleasantly surprised to discover that she is an Arcadia University alumna!
Amber jokes that she joined the firefighters on a whim. However, ever since she was young, she knew that she wanted to help the community and ensure their safety. In addition to serving at this fire station, she also volunteers at Edgehill and Abington fire stations. Because there are not many female firefighters, Amber believes that she is setting the bar with her performance. Just recently, she became the first female firefighter at the company who qualified to drive a fire truck and she has become a mentor to other female firefighters. Although the firefighting field is heavily male-dominated, Amber said that her colleagues have been very supportive. More importantly, when she gears up, she is just one of the many firefighters, ready to protect people from dangerous circumstances. Amber has been a volunteer firefighter since 2019. In the past 3 years, she has put out around a hundred fires. Although she's never rescued cats out of a tree, she did save squealing pigs from a burning house.
Now, pass the Glenside Fire Co, keep walking west, and take a left onto Lynwood Avenue. In about 400 ft, you will see Montier Road on your right. It is named after the Montier family, who founded the Free Black Settlement. The Montier family are descendants of Humphrey Morrey, the first mayor of Philadelphia. They became one of the very first black families in history of the U.S. to own land. It was unprecedented for an african american family to have that level of independence in the 1700s. The Montiers and their descendents continued to work towards empowering the black community and some of the family’s more well known members include Cyrus Bustill, one of the founders of the Free African Society, and the political activist and musician Paul Robeson.
Passing Montier Rd, stay on the left side of Lynwood Avenue, and as the sidewalk disappears you will find yourself walking into a piece of meadow. Compared to the concrete, the grass absorbs more impact from your body, making each step much softer, and quieter. Let’s slow down a little bit, and be mindful of our steps. If you want your steps to reach farther, you need to bend your knees before you can stretch your legs. Plant one heel first, from back to front, and when your body moves forward, gradually shift your weight to the sole and then to the big toe. Using your big toe as an anchor, push off the earth, then lift another foot. One leg at a time, step by step. Maybe you feel like a little pony, excited to tap the ground, and create your own rhythm, wandering around this green-colored land. You might see a bird, somewhere on a tree, with a red crest on its beak. When the wind blows, the bird spreads its wings, and flaunts its bright yellow feathers underneath.