Fire Museum

Established in 1876 as a fire insurance company, it's not unusual for Central to have an interest in firefighting equipment. In rural midwestern towns like Van Wert, buying fire insurance was costly and challenging. Building construction was primarily wood and there was little, if any, organized protection against fire. The large, established eastern insurance companies were hesitant to provide insurance protection. The Van Wert County Mutual Fire Insurance Company was formed on April 5, 1876, to fill that need and was the start of what was to become Central Insurance.

The threat of a disastrous fire was always very real, and the equipment used to fight fires was primitive. F. W. Purmort, Jr., president of Central from 1964 to 1994, first took an interest in collecting fire equipment in 1969. Bill was particularly proud of Central's heritage and deep respect for the past. He gradually built Central's museum into one of the finest privately owned collections in the U.S. The museum is a fitting tribute to Bill.

Our museum includes:

• A collection of leather fire buckets dating back to the 1700's
• A collection of over 600 antique fire toys consisting of cast iron, rubber, glass, tin, and wood construction
• A large display of fire extinguishers and glass fire grenades dating from the 1850's
• A rare and valuable collection of fire marks dating back to 1720
• A variety of antique fireman helmets
• Van Wert's first hand-drawn pumper used in 1871, and an Ahrens horse-drawn steam pumper which was purchased new in 1907 by the city of Van Wert and restored by Central
• A 1926 Ahrens-Fox pumper, the Rolls Royce of firetrucks

These are just some of the fascinating and historic items housed in Central's Fire Museum. The museum is dedicated to the ingenuity and pioneer spirit of those who came before us. Much of the equipment on display is part of our local history and was actually used in Van Wert. We're proud of our heritage and pleased that we can offer a look into the past.

Tours available by appointment only.
Please email CentralSupport@central-Insurance.com or call 800.736.7000 ext. 2043 to schedule an appointment.