Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-04
By ChorIes A. McAleer

The Glen Echo Volunteer Fire
Department is about to mark
another milestone in an era that
began with a fire "a years ago
which took six lives.
On Saturday the company
formally will dedicate its new
$126. 900 firehouse on Massachu-
sets avenue extended. 1t is the
third building the organization
has occupied since that Sunday
morning of June /, 1880.
That was when fire swept
through two frame houses vir-
tually next to the Glen Echo
amusement park. killing Mrs.
William Monkey, 40, and her five
children. Only Mr.. Monkey. a
crippled night policeman at the
park, managed to escape.
Glen Echo's citizenry were so
aroused that a mass meeting was
called. A few days later. the
fire department was organized.
Until then, they had depended
on volunteer units from Be-
thesda and Kensington and the
Districts Engine Company No.
20.
At first. the new department
moved into a small cinderblock
building. In 1888, the Glen Echo
Town Council decided to apply
to the Public Works Admins
tration for a loan. It was
granted, and a new building,
costing $4,000, was dedicated on
July 20, 1885.
typical PWA Project.
That building, hailed three
years later in Nation wide
radio broadcast as a typical
PWA project" no longer is used.
Progress caused its evacua-
ton. Dozens Of new housing
areas sprung up. and Glen
Echo's fire territory expanded
so much that the department
outgrew the town. Last May IA,
it moved from it's f1rehouse on
Vassar Circle, Glen Echo, to new
quarters at 1920 Massachusetts,
avenue, Glen Echo Heights. The
site is a large triangular tract
bounded by Massachusetts, ave-
nue. and Walhonding and Sang
amore roads, The old building,
also used as a community hall,
will be sold.
Glen Echo's fire district ex-
tends from River road to the
Potomac River and from the
District line to Wilson lane. It
also provides assistance for calls
in the Cabin John and Bethesda
fire districts.
Centrally Located.
It's former f1rehouse was at
the far north end of the district.
With the move, the department
found itself centrally located
within its district. No call is
more than Ia miles away.
Because of that, fire under
writer's raised the Glen Echo unit
to a Glass B rating, one Of the
few in this area. It's even higher
than that of Washington. This
helps home owners, too, by re-
ducing fire insurance rates.
In 1885 the Glen Echo area
formally known as the Conduit
road Fire Board district-served
some 1900 homes worth over So
million. Today there are many
times that number and the real
estate valuation is estimated at
$40 to $50 million.
Glen Echo department also
watches the Potomac River.
Whenever q rescue call is or
dered for the river or Chesa-
peake & Ohio Canal area, it is
Glen Echo that gets the signal.
The Red Cross has provided 1t
with a boat and other equipment.
It's rescue deeds are numerous
and many Of its members have
received citations. Each year
there are several drownings in
the river, and Glen Echo. with
its graphing equipment. Is called
to drag for the bodies.
Over so Volunteers.
Glen Echo's chief for the past
IA years has been Joseph A. Gil
ammatteo, an accountant with
the Federal Communications
Commission. Captain Of the res
cue squad is Charles P. Kocher.
Both are among the 50-some
volunteers with the department.
The company also has six paid