Before the town was renamed New Haven, the village of Nouvelle was a small but proud place caught in the middle of a war. By the time the war was over, many of the settlements along the Maine coast were under new rule or left in ruin. Casualties were great but for the generation left behind by the original founders of Nouvelle, pride and a love for their home were evident. Henry Ambrose, grandson of founder Sir Morgan, was no exception. Where the Ambrose family had a strong foothold in business and entertainment, Henry had a passion for saving lives and preserving what his grandfather had started.
As the war had wreaked havoc on Nouvelle, Henry was determined to save the only home many of the villagers knew. Rallying his fathers employees and remaining townspeople, he devised a way to combat the fires that ravaged Nouvelle. Using water from the bay pushed through a stretch of leather tubing, many of the structures were spared. While what remained of the town was eventually renamed New Haven, Henry saw this as a new opportunity to make his own mark on the world. So rather than pursuing the family business, Henry Ambrose established the New Haven Fire Company. As its first Chief, the company would not only grow, but become one of many leaders in innovative new technology that would enhance fire-fighting and life-saving for the town. It was a new concept, for sure, but one that would prove to establish a lasting and rather interesting legacy for years to come.
