Vigilant Fire Company Firemen's Monument
Why it's listed
Union Cemetery, just south of Slatington, Pennsylvania, holds a 16-foot granite monument completed in 1909 for the Vigilant Fire Company. Local stonemason Frank A. Scheirer carved it from Barre granite over about four months, and it was dedicated on September 16, 1909 before a crowd of more than 1,500. A seven-foot fireman with a handlebar moustache, pointed hat and heavy fire coat stands on a three-tiered base, holding a young child with both arms as he steps forward. The monument was intended to honor deceased firemen and to provide burial plots for members of Pennsylvania fire departments who had financial hardship or no family. Three firemen were buried in the plot in the 1940s. Its place in the region's fire history rests on its design: the nomination treats it as one of a small group of surviving fireman statues from this era, and the only sculpted one of them, with the others cast in metal.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the monument is one of a small group of surviving fireman statues from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and that it is the only sculpted example of its type from that period, with the others being cast metal. It also argues the monument is significant as a commemorative property honoring deceased firemen and providing burial for firemen with hardship or no family.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 04000838, listed August 11, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Union Cemetery W side of PA 873, approx. 1/3 mil S of Slatington, Washington Township |
|---|---|
| County | Lehigh County |
| Listed | August 11, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000838 |
| Resource type | Object |
| Period of significance | 1909 |
| Architect / builder | Scheirer, Frank A. (builder) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The granite is described as in excellent condition, with only minor pitting and discoloration from acid rain and weather; the statue and base are unchanged since 1909. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Lehigh Canal |
| Coordinates | 40.73974, -75.61313 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 04000838.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7928913
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.