Name/Title
List of Fire Alarm Box LocationsEntry/Object ID
2016.10.3Description
Light brown paper with writing in black font. The paper appears as if it were torn from a larger sheet of paper. It lists the fire alarm box locations in downtown Columbia. The locations are numbers 14 through 45 (some numbers are skipped) and indicate the associated streets. The backside contains no written information.Context
In 1879, John N. Gamewell (1822–1896), a native of Camden, South Carolina, founded the Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph Company. By 1886, the company had installed fire alarm boxes in 250 cities across the United States, and it doubled that number within the next four years. Columbia was one of the cities equipped with these alarm boxes, and lists of their locations were published in city directories and distributed to the public to raise awareness of the system. Ironically, in March 1899, Columbia's central electric fire alarm—located at the northwest corner of Main and Washington Streets—was destroyed in a massive fire.Publication Details
Publication Type
PamphletDate Published
circa 1886 - 1892Transcription
"FIRE ALARM.
LOCATION OF BOXES.
No.14
Corner Green and Lincoln Streets.
No. 15
Corner Green and Richardson Streets.
No. 16
Corner Assemly and Senate Streets.
No. 21
Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta R.R.
No. 22
Corner Lady and Bull Streets.
No. 23
Corner Henderson and Plain Streets.
No. 24
Corner Bull and Blanding Streets.
No. 25
Corner Bull and Lumber Streets.
No. 31.
Corner Richardson and Lady Streets.
No. 32
Corner Richardson and Taylor Streets.
No. 33
Corner Richardson and Richland Streets.
No. 24
Corner Gates and Lumber Streets.
No. 41
Corner Lady and Lincoln Streets.
No. 42
Corner Gates and Plain Streets.
No. 43
Corner Blanding and Wayne Streets.
No. 44
Lunatic Asylum.
No. 45
Corner Richland and Gadsden Streets."Dimensions
Width
2-1/2 inLength
7-1/4 inRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
South Carolina State Hospital, John Nelson Gamewell
