The Founding of the Company

With the smokestacks of the Pennsylvania Railroad trains triggering fires along the tracks through Malvern and the occasional house and business fires, residents of the Village of Malvern, then the northern-most part of Willistown Township, began to talk of fire protection in the 1880’s. Fires either were put out by bucket brigades or smothering, or left to burn out.

The Malvern Free Will Fire Company was established February 8, 1888, by about 50 citizens of the village.

Reportedly, the motto agreed to during early meetings of the new Company held at J. Jones Still’s bicycle shop was, "Do the best you can at any time, at any place; no night too dark, no road too rough to answer the call of mercy and of duty." (DLN)

"The regular monthly meeting of the Malvern Free Will Fire Company was held in Malvern Hall on Monday night [June 4, 1888] with a large attendance of members. The committee on Water Supply, having failed to make a report, was discharged. The Finance Committee reported having collected about $100. A resolution offered at a previous meeting to strike out of the title the words ‘Free Will’ was discussed both pro and con and afterwards unanimously carried. In the future it will be known as the Malvern Fire Company. Mr. Elliot, who is building the truck, stated that it would be completed in the course of a month. The Committee on Apparatus was instructed to procure a place for the storage of the truck, after which the meeting adjourned." (DLN)

The first Malvern Fire Company fair was held in the fall of 1888 at the Paoli Monument grounds.

"The Malvern firemen are very much elated over the success of their fair, which closed on Saturday night. Their expenses amounted to about $300 and their receipts $1000. Therefore, it is expected $700 will be netted. This will be used in the erection of a new fire engine house. The Malvern boys believe in protection, and in this way they built in their own village a new fire truck which they say is good enough for the town yet, and it certainly is a credit to the workmanship of the place." (DLN)

Some of the prizes awarded at that first fair were a buggy whip, clock, set of silver teaspoons, silk handkerchief, lap spread, rocking chair, box of cigars, glass pitcher, lamp, whisk holder, and a box of toilet soap. Other prizes were a moustache cup, fancy stand and extracts, silk umbrella, canary bird, cathedral clock, manicure set, smoking set, large cake, glass set, paper weight, watch, silver pitcher, and an alarm clock. (DLN)

In November, 1888, the Company applied to the Chester County Court of Common Pleas for its charter, receiving it December 20. For $450, the Company purchased property on Church Street from William Penn Evans and his wife, Mary.