First African-American to serve in the FDNY. Initially appointed to the Brooklyn Fire Department in 1898 prior to the consolidation of the Greater City of New York and the merger of the New York and Brooklyn Fire Departments into the FDNY. Mr. Nicholson was not afforded the same status as his white counterparts; he was not assigned to a firefighting company. Rather he was assigned to work in the (nevertheless essential) veterinarian service caring for the Department's horses. He retired on January 1, 1912 due to heart problems and passed away as a result, soon thereafter.
First African-American to serve in the FDNY. Initially appointed to the Brooklyn Fire Department in 1898 prior to the consolidation of the Greater City of New York and the merger of the New York and Brooklyn Fire Departments into the FDNY. Mr. Nicholson was not afforded the same status as his white counterparts; he was not assigned to a firefighting company. Rather he was assigned to work in the (nevertheless essential) veterinarian service caring for the Department's horses. He retired on January 1, 1912 due to heart problems and passed away as a result, soon thereafter.
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