Antique hand tub ready to roll
By Karen Mann Journal Correspondent

Fire Lt. Clay Swenor stands next to the refurbished Always Ready, which served as the first hand tub for the Westminster Fire Department. Swenor spent more than 1,200 hours over the last year working on the project. Courtesy Photos

The Always Ready hand tub is ready once again.

Fire Department Lieutenant Clay Swenor recently restored the antique fire engine, which the town of Westminster purchased in 1849.

"I thought it was a shame to let it go," said Swenor. "It was in rough shape."

The hand tub was crafted by coppersmith William Hunneman, who was an apprentice of Paul Revere. According to Swenor, Hunneman bought the patent from inventor Jacob Perkins, and made the hand tub very popular.

The hand tub engine had two brakes, which was a long pump handle on each side. Firefighters would pump the brakes up and down to shoot a stream of water onto a fire. Swenor said before this, people put out fires by throwing buckets of water on the fire.

William Hunneman & Company, based out of Roxbury, made 716 hand tubs. According to Swenor, Westminster possibly owned five tubs. The Always Ready is the only one still in the town's possession. It was the 376 tub designed by Hunneman, who numbered each tub he built. Swenor estimates the tub was purchased for $450-$750.

Clay Swenor stripped the paint to get to the original wood and metal. He said it looked like the tub had been repainted three or four times.

The engine was last used in the 1970s before it broke. Swenor said it was stored in various sheds and garages around town.

Swenor joined the town's fire department 10 years ago at the same point the department was celebrating the 150 anniversary of the tub. Always Ready was put on display at the sta- tion. This is when Swenor noticed the tub's condition.

"It didn't pump and the paint was peeling," said Swenor.

He asked the Westminster Fire Association, which owns the engine, if it would pay for the tub's restoration. The association agreed to fund the work.

Swenor started the project last December, and finished about three weeks ago.

"I've always had a love of antiques," said Swenor. He has experience restoring motorcycles and cars.

The town bought the hand tub in 1849. It was probably one of three that the town owned and it is the only one that remains.

Swenor had to get advice from some experts though, on how to restore a hand tub.

He even spoke with J. Richard Hunneman, a descendant of William Hunneman.

Swenor started by completely dismantling Always Ready.

"I tried to catalogue each piece when I took it apart," said Swenor. "Some nuts and bolts only fit in a specific area."

He also stripped the paint to get to the original wood and metal. Swenor said it looked like the tub had been repainted three or four times. He spent about 20 hours scraping white paint off the handles with a dental pick.

He wanted to copy the original design, but the earliest picture of the hand tub was from 1920, 70 years after it was built.

Swenor said he found some clues as to the original design, and also looked at tubs in other towns that had never been restored.

To paint the hand tub, Swenor sought outside help. Shannon Murphy painted the large color portions. The lettering and striping was done by Dennis Day.

"I met a lot of nice, helpful people in the process," said Swenor.

He also received help from his fellow firefighters, lifting and moving heavy parts. Swenor said the hand tub probably weighs 1,500 pounds.

He had the most fun putting the pieces back together because he got to see it all take shape.

Swenor spent about 1,200 hours restoring the hand tub, and said it was worth it.

"It was a lot of fun. I also learned a lot about what went into building the tubs, and what people did back then with limited tools," said Swenor.

The hand tub is 99 percent finished according to Swenor. There is a button missing from the horse cart that needs to be replaced. The nozzle also is missing from the engine. Swenor figures someone in town must have the nozzle. It is a fivefoot long pole that is copper in the middle, with brass at each end. Swenor asks that if someone has the nozzle, he/she let the department either buy it or borrow it when displaying the hand tub.

The hand tub is currently on display at the fire station. It will remain there for a few weeks then be put away for the winter.

- • -

Karen Mann is a 2006 graduate of Emerson College, in Boston, where she studied journalism. She resides in Townsend.