Our History
1896
In October of 1896, George Jessop, Sr. and nine other men from the community formed the Marble Hill Fire Department. The nearest fire station at the time was in Towson, seven miles away, which had opened its doors in 1882. Seven miles was too far to be helpful, so Mr. Jessop and his neighbors used a carriage house on the corner of York and Shawan Road that belonged to Mr. Abram Ensor. The initial fire department consisted of twelve volunteers and a 20-gallon tank, mounted on three wheels and pulled by hand.
1898
The department upgraded to a horse-drawn ladder truck with a hand-operated pump in 1898, which was more effective than the hand-drawn cart in the hills and valleys of Cockeysville. It was too large to fit into Mr. Ensor’s carriage house, so the company’s Captain at the time, Mr. Jacob Fowble, offered to sell his carpentry shop on the corner of York and Ashland Roads to the fire department, for use as the department’s new station.
1900
By 1900, Cockeysville’s growth had outstripped the abilities of the horse drawn ladder truck, and the Baltimore County Commissioners offered to loan the department for a larger horse-drawn engine. Again, the new equipment was too large for the carpentry shop purchased in 1898, so once again the department was forced to look for a new fire station. A building in front of the carpentry shop became available, and each member of the fire department contributed $100.00 to purchase it. The department moved into this location in 1900.
1914
In 1914, the department obtained their first auto engine: a 400 HP motor-driven fire truck.
1917
In 1917, the department officially incorporated under the name Cockeysville Volunteer Fire Company. In late 1927, the new station caught fire. It was then necessary to find yet another place to call home. The company operated from the Reckord’s Motor Company showroom until the new station was built in 1928, on York Road.
1929
In 1929, Cockeysville Volunteer Fire Company purchased a Nash ambulance. It became the first volunteer fire company in the state of Maryland to provide free ambulance service to the community.
1995
Over the years, the Cockeysville Volunteer Fire Company upgraded its equipment many more times, but did not move locations again until mid-1990, when the company broke ground on its current firehouse. From this location, we continue to serve the public today.
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