HOW IT ALL BEGAN…

COTTEKILL VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY

During the 1920’s the two hamlets, Binnewater and Cottekill formed the B&C Fire Company. They held their meetings in the Cottekill Schoolhouse, then located on Sawdust Avenue. On September 30, 1931, the membership voted 21 to 4 to build two firehouses, one in Binnewater and one in Cottekill, and that the company be cooperative. A committee was appointed to secure two lots to build the firehouses.

By early 1932 the Binnewater firehouse was complete, and they were still attempting to secure property for the Cottekill firehouse. On February 23, 1932, the members of Cottekill met at the Cottekill Railroad Station and decided to part with Binnewater and form their own Fire Company.

On March 2, 1932, at the Cottekill Railroad Station, 32 men of Cottekill organized the Cottekill Volunteer Fire Company (CVFC). By September of that year, they had secured property and built the firehouse on the property next to the railroad station.

Today, March 2023, the CVFC is still operating out of the same firehouse, with a few renovations over the years. CVFC provides emergency services to Cottekill, a 3 sqmi. hamlet which is in both the towns of Marbletown and Rosendale. Mostly a residential area, it is also home to the Rondout Municipal Center (Marbletown & Rosendale Town Halls, plus the ARC-Mid Hudson), the Brookside School, Big E’s Deli, and approximately 3½ miles of the O&W Rail Trail. There are three parking areas for the rail trail in Cottekill, including one right behind the firehouse. The CVFC has designated the single lane paved driveway along the West side of the firehouse as rail trail foot/bicycle/horse traffic only to provide a safe transition from one segment of the trail to another.

The membership currently consists of 16 first responders and 6 associate (non-emergency response) members. The company is in need of community members to volunteer as first responders. The community needs to supply the human resource in order for there to be response force. We welcome all members of the community ages 16 and above.