History of theWarrenton Rural Volunteer Fire Department
Looking back at the history of the fire service in Warren County, the first fire station was the Plummer Hook & Ladder Co., established in 1868 by freed slaves. After the turn of the 20th century, PH&L became known as the Town of Warrenton Fire Department and was later designated Warren County Fire Station-1. In 1925, the Town of Norlina Fire Department was established and later became known as Warren County Station-2. During this period, fire protection in Warren County was available only in the municipalities of Warrenton and Norlina.
The first fire company to provide fire protection to rural areas of Warren County was organized in February 1956. “Thirty-five men … from all over Warren County” established the Warrenton Rural Voluntary Fire Association, Inc., or the Warrenton Rural Volunteer Fire Department, which was later designated as Warren County Station-3. At that first organizational meeting, Dixon Ward was elected Fire Chief; J. D. Roberts was elected 1st Asst. Chief, and Joe Bobbitt 2nd Asst. Chief.
For its first fire station Warrenton Rural VFD obtained the former Boyd’s Warehouse located at Bragg Street & Macon Street, literally beside the Town of Warrenton FD in Town Hall at Bragg Street & Market Street. [see below Why was there a Warrenton FD and a Warrenton Rural FD?]
In the ensuing months, Warrenton Rural volunteers trained, raised money, purchased firefighting equipment, and even built their own fire apparatus, including converting an old school bus into truck No. 1. [see Apparatus].
The first fire company to provide fire protection to rural areas of Warren County was organized in February 1956. “Thirty-five men … from all over Warren County” established the Warrenton Rural Voluntary Fire Association, Inc., or the Warrenton Rural Volunteer Fire Department, which was later designated as Warren County Station-3. At that first organizational meeting, Dixon Ward was elected Fire Chief; J. D. Roberts was elected 1st Asst. Chief, and Joe Bobbitt 2nd Asst. Chief.
For its first fire station Warrenton Rural VFD obtained the former Boyd’s Warehouse located at Bragg Street & Macon Street, literally beside the Town of Warrenton FD in Town Hall at Bragg Street & Market Street. [see below Why was there a Warrenton FD and a Warrenton Rural FD?]
In the ensuing months, Warrenton Rural volunteers trained, raised money, purchased firefighting equipment, and even built their own fire apparatus, including converting an old school bus into truck No. 1. [see Apparatus].
WRVFD Pumper No. 1
In its formative years, funding was totally dependent upon donations from businesses, private citizens, and fundraisers. As Fire Chief A. A. “Double A” Woods later recounted, “The firemen were short on funds; they were long on ingenuity and determination.”
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On Wednesday, April 18, 1956, around 11:30 p.m., Warrenton Rural VFD answered its first call. They caught a worker on their first time out! It was a house fire on the Niles Serls farm, about three miles from Warrenton, down a winding dirt road, near the far side of Hamme’s mill pond. Five volunteer firefighters responded: Joe Bobbitt, Walker Burwell, Wilbur Davis, John Vaughn, and Alfred “Rooster” Davis, a member of the Warrenton FD who drove Pumper No. 1. Wilbur Davis who turned in that first alarm, was also the Warren County Fire Warden and the Fire Chief of Warrenton FD. Unfortunately, due to a delay in receiving the initial alarm, the house was already on the ground by the time the firefighters arrived. However, they were able to extinguish a spreading grass and woods fire and saved two outbuildings and a tobacco barn.
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In the early years there was no central dispatch or paging system. Initially firefighters depended on the ringing of a brass bell at the firehouse to sound the alarm. More often than not, word-of-mouth spread the alarm. Charter member Monroe Gardner (father of long-time Fire Chief Walter Gardner) recalled talking on the telephone to Walter Smiley when someone got on the party line to pass the word there was a barn fire on NC 158 Highway near Norcarva! Warrenton Rural arrived on-scene in about 10 minutes. Members later depended on a World War II surplus earsplitting air raid siren to alert members of a call (which remained in service until 2024). It was not until the 1970s that Warren County established a modern paging system.
Warrenton Rural responded to fire calls throughout Warren County. Soon they were responding to mutual aid calls with the municipal fire departments of Warrenton and Norlina.
Due to exceedingly long response times to fire calls to outlying parts of the county, Warrenton Rural devised a long-range plan to establish auxiliary fire companies in unincorporated communities. The goal was to have an auxiliary company every four square miles.
Those communities came together to build fire stations for the new auxiliary fire companies and to recruit area volunteer firefighters to staff the stations. WRVFD established Auxiliary Fire Companies in Arcola (1958; Sta. 4), Drewry (?; Sta. 5), Inez (1957; Sta. 6), Afton-Elberon (1962; Sta. 7), Wise (Hawtree)(1965; Sta. 8), and Macon (1969; Sta. 9).
Due to exceedingly long response times to fire calls to outlying parts of the county, Warrenton Rural devised a long-range plan to establish auxiliary fire companies in unincorporated communities. The goal was to have an auxiliary company every four square miles.
Those communities came together to build fire stations for the new auxiliary fire companies and to recruit area volunteer firefighters to staff the stations. WRVFD established Auxiliary Fire Companies in Arcola (1958; Sta. 4), Drewry (?; Sta. 5), Inez (1957; Sta. 6), Afton-Elberon (1962; Sta. 7), Wise (Hawtree)(1965; Sta. 8), and Macon (1969; Sta. 9).
Warrenton Rural Pumper-8, Afton-Elberon Auxiliary Co. in front of the Afton station.
Warrenton Rural continued to build fire apparatuses in-house and in turn provided them to their auxiliary companies. Members built no less than 14 fire apparatus from 1956 until 1968 when they started purchasing purpose-built fire trucks. Even still, WRVFD continued to purchase a few surplus and used vehicles, refurbished them, then put them in service through the mid-1970s.
Before long, Warrenton Rural started providing ambulance service to the community on two "emergency wagons." Unfortunately, by 1967 the lack of medically trained members and the additional burdens placed on the department when area funeral homes discontinuing their ambulance service was more than the department could bear. Warrenton Rural ceased ambulance service operations in January 1968.
In 1958, Warrenton Rural moved from its Bragg Street station three blocks south to Tarwater’s Warehouse on the corner of S. Main Street & Plummer Street, which was furnished to the fire department as a public service by E. G. & Gayle Tarwater. However, the warehouse was inadequate and its condition continued to deteriorate.
After a long search for a lot to build a new fire station, in 1962 WRVFD purchased Weldon Hall tobacco prizehouse on the corner of S. Front Street & College Street—almost diagonally across from their S. Main Street station—with the stipulation that demolition of the prizehouse be delayed until after tobacco sales season. Construction of the new fire station began in October of 1963, and Warrenton Rural moved in the Spring of 1964.
Before long, Warrenton Rural started providing ambulance service to the community on two "emergency wagons." Unfortunately, by 1967 the lack of medically trained members and the additional burdens placed on the department when area funeral homes discontinuing their ambulance service was more than the department could bear. Warrenton Rural ceased ambulance service operations in January 1968.
In 1958, Warrenton Rural moved from its Bragg Street station three blocks south to Tarwater’s Warehouse on the corner of S. Main Street & Plummer Street, which was furnished to the fire department as a public service by E. G. & Gayle Tarwater. However, the warehouse was inadequate and its condition continued to deteriorate.
After a long search for a lot to build a new fire station, in 1962 WRVFD purchased Weldon Hall tobacco prizehouse on the corner of S. Front Street & College Street—almost diagonally across from their S. Main Street station—with the stipulation that demolition of the prizehouse be delayed until after tobacco sales season. Construction of the new fire station began in October of 1963, and Warrenton Rural moved in the Spring of 1964.
Front Street station under construction.
By the late-1970s regulations had changed and the North Carolia Department of Insurance established individual fire districts throughout the State. Warrenton Rural’s Auxiliary Fire Companies were eventually recognized as autonomous fire departments with their own fire district, and they began independent operations and funding. Consequently, all the auxiliary fire companies separated from Warrenton Rural by the mid-1980s. Interestingly enough, all of the former auxiliary fire companies, except Drewry, still provide automatic mutual aid to Warrenton Rural VFD.
By 2001 Warrenton Rural had been in its Front Street fire station for almost 40 years. So, WRVFD began the long and laborious process of researching, designing, and funding a new fire station.
By 2003, the Town of Warrenton FD’s active membership had dwindled and their station was in dire need of repairs. The Town of Warrenton regretfully decided to discontinue its funding and operation of the Town of Warrenton FD, and requested Warrenton Rural VFD take over fire suppression services within the Warrenton town limits.
On July 1, 2004, the Town of Warrenton Fire Department ceased operations, thus ending the State’s longest continuously run all-Black fire company, chartered in 1868 as the Plummer Hook & Ladder Co. (136 years!).
The Town of Warrenton FD’s vehicles, equipment, and personnel were transferred to Warrenton Rural VFD. The merger of the two departments went fairly smoothly, though some WFD veteran members decided not to join WRVFD.
With the addition of all the Warrenton FD’s apparatus and equipment, the need for a new Warrenton Rural station became more urgent. In July 2005, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at the lot on the corner of S. Main Street & Plummer Street, ironically the same location as their second fire station four decades earlier. The new station was 13,500 sq. ft. and cost $1.8 million. It was designed to provide for the needs of the department and the community for the next fifty years. The station’s mortgage was paid off in full in 2024.
By 2001 Warrenton Rural had been in its Front Street fire station for almost 40 years. So, WRVFD began the long and laborious process of researching, designing, and funding a new fire station.
By 2003, the Town of Warrenton FD’s active membership had dwindled and their station was in dire need of repairs. The Town of Warrenton regretfully decided to discontinue its funding and operation of the Town of Warrenton FD, and requested Warrenton Rural VFD take over fire suppression services within the Warrenton town limits.
On July 1, 2004, the Town of Warrenton Fire Department ceased operations, thus ending the State’s longest continuously run all-Black fire company, chartered in 1868 as the Plummer Hook & Ladder Co. (136 years!).
The Town of Warrenton FD’s vehicles, equipment, and personnel were transferred to Warrenton Rural VFD. The merger of the two departments went fairly smoothly, though some WFD veteran members decided not to join WRVFD.
With the addition of all the Warrenton FD’s apparatus and equipment, the need for a new Warrenton Rural station became more urgent. In July 2005, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at the lot on the corner of S. Main Street & Plummer Street, ironically the same location as their second fire station four decades earlier. The new station was 13,500 sq. ft. and cost $1.8 million. It was designed to provide for the needs of the department and the community for the next fifty years. The station’s mortgage was paid off in full in 2024.
Warrenton Rural VFD station, 236 S. Main Street.
Starting around 2019 the Warren County Firemen’s Association put forth a plan for paid firefighters to staff fire stations during weekday daytime hours when most volunteer firefighters were at their paid jobs. The plan called for Warren County to fund three paid firefighters at volunteer stations. The number of paid firefighters was to be increased annually until each fire department had at least one firefighter at each station. In 2021, the Warren County Commissioners approved $80,000 for the paid firefighter initiative. Warrenton Rural was one of the first three departments to receive funding for a paid employee.
In 2024, Warrenton Rural Vol. Fire Dept. initiated a Live-In Program, which offers free housing at the firehouse to volunteer firefighters in exchange for them staffing the station and responding to calls. This allows for quicker response to dispatched fire and medical calls.
In 2024, Warrenton Rural Vol. Fire Dept. initiated a Live-In Program, which offers free housing at the firehouse to volunteer firefighters in exchange for them staffing the station and responding to calls. This allows for quicker response to dispatched fire and medical calls.
Zack Morressey became Warrenton Rural's first Live-In member.
Warrenton Rural VFD has now operated continuously for almost seventy years with extraordinary commitment to the fire service and the citizens of the community. Over those seven decades, Warrenton Rural has responded to literally tens of thousands of calls for help to the residents of Warrenton and Warren County. Additionally, dedicated members have given untold hours of their personal time to non-emergency events such as fire prevention week, fund raisers, department functions, as well as community and civic events.
Why was there a Warrenton FD
and a Warrenton Rural FD?
To answer that question, we have to look back in time through the prism of history. Following the Civil War, newly freed slaves were given citizenship and civil rights. However, even though they legally had rights, segregation and discrimination was the norm for the next century.
So, in 1868 when it was decided to do something about providing fire protection for the Town of Warrenton, two fire companies were organized--a “White” one, and a “Black” one. The white fire company never came to fruition, but the black fire company became the Plummer Hook & Ladder Co. and flourished. Sometime after the turn of the century, PH&L became the Town of Warrenton Fire Department. Both PH&L and WFD had an all-Black membership roster.
When Warrenton Rural Volunteer Fire Department was formed in 1956, segregation was still in practice. By default, Warrenton Rural became the “White” fire department, while Warrenton FD was the “Black” fire department. So, there was a Warrenton FD and a Warrenton Rural VFD, whose stations were literally just a couple of blocks apart. And it remained that way for the next 48 years until the two fire departments merged in 2004.
So, in 1868 when it was decided to do something about providing fire protection for the Town of Warrenton, two fire companies were organized--a “White” one, and a “Black” one. The white fire company never came to fruition, but the black fire company became the Plummer Hook & Ladder Co. and flourished. Sometime after the turn of the century, PH&L became the Town of Warrenton Fire Department. Both PH&L and WFD had an all-Black membership roster.
When Warrenton Rural Volunteer Fire Department was formed in 1956, segregation was still in practice. By default, Warrenton Rural became the “White” fire department, while Warrenton FD was the “Black” fire department. So, there was a Warrenton FD and a Warrenton Rural VFD, whose stations were literally just a couple of blocks apart. And it remained that way for the next 48 years until the two fire departments merged in 2004.
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