In early 1903 a group of 16 men met in Ben Kay’s kitchen and decided that the town of Conshohocken was in need of a second fire company. Three fires, one at Judge Jim Holland’s house, one at the J. E. Lee Surgical Works, and one in Ben Kay’s kitchen on election day of 1902, convinced the men to take action. On March 2, 1903, the group, now 26 in number, filed a petition for charter with the Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas. The request was approved by Judge H. K. Weand and on April 27, 1903 they received a written charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Conshohocken No.2 has always had a strong group of contributing members. Through the years they have supported the company by promoting and attending its events. The company has always appreciated the moral and financial support of this group of members. They have always been a reflection of the community’s support of the company.

Like any organization of its type the fire company has been a reflection of those who have been part of it. From the original group of men that met in that kitchen the company grew rapidly. When the written charter arrived in April of 1903 the company showed a roster of sixty four members. It appears to have been a diverse group of people including shopkeepers, businessmen and factory workers. That diversity remains. We are bankers and policemen, students and retirees, housewives and construction workers, truck drivers, business executives, computer programmers and engineers. Our current roster lists nearly three hundred members with approximately fifty active members and a staff of thirty three firefighters.

Even with its diversity we are a company of families. The company records reveal family names appearing for several generations. A quick look at the current officers shows three sets of brothers, a mother and daughter and a husband and wife. The regular and active membership is full of husbands and wives, mothers and fathers with sons and daughters, brothers, cousins and in-laws. The experience of the long time members continues to guide the enthusiasm of the young as parents, uncles, aunts, and older brothers passing on traditions and history to sons and daughters, nieces and nephews. We are a diversity of families coming together, united in a common cause to grow an organization that is more than a building and pieces of equipment. It is made of parts of all those who have been here through the years and it is a part of them.

The rich heritage of the Fire Company, intertwined with the individuals who were the stewards of this great organization during their generation has spawned a lasting legacy. To this day, the present stewardship balances the Company’s heritage with the technology of the present, and an eye toward the future, ensuring that the Fire Company meets its obligation to protect the residents of Conshohocken. This is the combination; the equation of success that has enabled the Conshohocken Fire Company No. 2 to flourish and grow for 100 years and will continue growing for 100 more.