Fire is the greatest single threat to our heritage.
Friends of John Jay Homestead has successfully raised $1,200,000 to fund a fire protection system for the Main house. A 2006 fire and security survey estimated our volunteer fire department’s response time as 20 minutes, while the estimated time for destruction of the Main House is 10 to 15 minutes.
Due to combustible construction and combustible interior finishes and content, the building is highly susceptible to a total loss from a fire. Currently, the residence has no automatic fire protection system, no water supply to support a fire protection system, a limited fire alarm,a limited fire safety management plan, and a volunteer fire department. The lack of these automatic and manual systems exposes this residence to a great loss from fire.
Our plan includes FIRE PREVENTION measures: a fire safety management plan, electrical system upgrades, and lightning protection; and FIRE PROTECTION: automatic fire alarm systems, an automatic wet-pipe sprinkler system, water supply for wet-pipe sprinkler system, and leak detection.