2, had by this time gone out of existence, leaving no trace behind. Some years prev ious to the purchase of the Washington Com-pany's new engine an engine company, composed of Dr. Benjamin Brandreth, William Codington and a number of the more wealthy citizens of the place hail been formed, but it soon passed out of existence.

Officially the company was known as No. 4, but their common designation was '"The Silk Stockings," from the belief that they had organized chiefly to secure the exemption from various public duties which were granted to firemen. The " Silk Stockings' " engine-house was located on Spring Street, almost opposite the Methodist Church, and adjoining the grounds of the Mount Pleasant Academy. In January, 1857, the citizens of Sing Sing sent a petition to the Legislature, setting forth that much property had been saved to the State by the attendance of the Sing Sing firemen at the numerous fires at the 334 HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COl'NTY. prison, and tliat one lire-engine and apparatus had been nearly worn out in that service.

They there-fore requested that the State should purchase for the village a first-class fire-engine and other apparatus to