Lake Hiawatha Firehouse | Parsippany, New Jersey

Lake Hiawatha

 

Lake Hiawatha is one of several communities within the large township of Parsippany, New Jersey.

Towns and areas with names of Native American origin are common in New Jersey

The name “Parsippany” is derived from a Lenape word that means “where the river winds through the valley.” 

Lake Hiawatha has many streets named after Native American words: Iroquois, Mohegan, Oswego, Seminole, Navajo, and my favorite, Minnehaha Boulevard. 

The firehouse for Lake Hiawatha Parsippany District 4 is located on N. Beverwyck Road.

It is staffed by volunteers. Many of the members have spent years dedicated to this cause.

There WAS an interesting article in Parsippany Focus about this fire department.

They go on to say:

The mission of the Lake Hiawatha Fire Department is to protect the lives and property of the people of Lake Hiawatha and the surrounding communities against fire and other hazards. This will be accomplished by fire fighters who are well trained and drilled in the strategies and tactics of modern day firefighting. These firefighters will act at all times in a professional manner using properly maintained equipment.

The section of Parsippany Troy-Hills where Lake Hiawatha is located was settled as a summer community along the Rockaway River in 1932. At the time only three streets in town were available for travel: North Beverwyck Road, Dacotah Avenue and Nokomis Avenue and development only reached the lake in 1935. The lake was the center of summer activities for the area, consisting of a white sandy beach with a pavilion, children’s playground and a barbecuing area.

The NJ Injury Guys 😉 also write about the history of Lake Hiawatha and the fire station:

During this developing time, the fire department was also raising money for a local station. By the end of 1935, they bought a fire engine and stored it behind a house owned by Thomas Broadway, where the Lake Hiawatha Post Office stands today).

On the front of the building are the following words:

The Desire to Serve. The Courage to Act. The Ability to Perform.

 

 
 

I found this obituary for a man who volunteered for OVER 50 YEARS at Lake Hiawatha’s fire station:

You may also want to read my post about The Brainy Borough | Metuchen, New Jersey. 

2022 Updates::

I have updated this post with new photos and new information.

The firehouse was painted recently, giving it a bright new look. I took out the old point-and-shoot photos and added new ones taken from my iPhone 12.

Thanks for visiting New Jersey Memories!