The Union No. 1 was built in 1867 by the William Hunneman Co. of Boston, MA one of the leading hand engine builder in America at the time. His engines were shipped all over the world. It bears Hunneman serial number 695 and has 6” cylinders and qualifies for Class B muster competition.

The engine was delivered to the Braintree-Weymouth fire district on September 26,1867. The Union was retired from the fire service in 1889. From that point on it was used strictly for muster competition by Braintree, MA. VFA.  In 1899 the Union was modified from a squrriel tail suction engine with the suction being moved to the side of the engine by Braintree blacksmith Joe South. It had a pretty impressive muster record including the New England States Veteran Fireman’s League Championship in 1914. It attended it’s last muster from Braintree in 1922. It attended 152 muster while there.

                The Union No.1 sat idle from 1922 through 1960. In 1959 the engine was acquired by members of the Southborough Fire Dept who had formed the F.D. Newton Veteran Fireman’s Association. The firefighters totally restored the Union No.1 and entered it in muster competition in 1960. All the hard work rebuilding the engine proved its worth on August 13, 1960 at a muster in East Greenwich, RI it won the 1960 NESVFL Class B Championship beating out 8 other engines in it’s class. The Union has attended 314 musters while in Southborough winning 18 of them. It had won $25,498.07 in muster competition with a longest stream of
 227' 11" done on May 30, 1902 at Downers Landing, MA.

The Union No.1 is the only handtub to have won both the NESVFL Classs Championship (1914) and the NESVFL Class B Championship (1960)

If you would like to join the F.D. Newton VFA or donate* to help preserve the Union No.1
email the group at fdnewtonvfa@gmail.com

*The F.D. Newton VFA is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt charitable organization. Donations are tax deductable on all personal & business tax returns.