About

On February 4, 1947 a barn fire on the property of Dr. Charles Snyder, known as Church Farm in Stevensville, broke out. The two closest companies, Queenstown and Centreville responded with haste but were too far away to save the building. On February 7, 1947, in Myrtle Seymour’s store in Chester, MD, four men, Benton Gardner, Joseph Baxter, George Taylor, and Leonard Risley met and discussed starting a Fire Department on Kent Island. Captain Orville Nash donated the first $10.00 accepted by Benton Gardner.By February 14, 1947 at the first meeting in the Stevensville School, these four men along with Emory Horney had collected $1500.00 to begin their journey. On April 1, that same year the original charter of the Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department was drawn up and on property donated by John Benton, the Fire Department officially began on April 14, 1947.