On December 21, 1903, a
certificate of Incorporation of the Bryn Mawr Fire Company was
presented in the Court of Common Pleas for Montgomery County.
President Judge, Aaron S. Swartz ordered and decreed that this
Charter was approved and that upon the recording of it, together
with its endorsements and the order, in the Office of the
Recorder of Deeds for Montgomery County, the subscribers and
their associates would thenceforth be a Corporation. On June 22,
1903, William H. Ramsey, P.A. Hart and I. Warner Arthur, three
of the subscribers to the Certificate of Incorporation, appeared
before Edward W. Miller, a Notary Public, and acknowledged the
Certificate of Incorporation of the Bryn Mawr Fire Company to be
their act and deed.
On February 2, 1904, the Charter, its endorsements, and
the order handed down by Judge Swartz, were recorded in the
office for the Recording of Deeds and the Bryn Mawr Fire Company
was a Corporation. On the Charter were the names of subscribers
amounting to the sum of 32. And in this group were some men of
great wealth and most of the important men of Bryn Mawr,
Haverford and Rosemont of one half century ago. John H.
Converse, of Rosemont, was the first president. He was an
official in the Baldwin Locomotive Works. Dr. William C. Powell,
physician to the countryside, whose son is now a local doctor,
was vice president of the new fire company. Alba B. Johnson and
Samuel M. Vauclain, two associates of Converse in the Baldwin
Locomotive Works were among the incorporators. Vauclain
continued for many years after that as consulting engineer for
the fire company, and also, later on became the President of
Baldwin Locomotive Works. Clarkson Clothier, of Strawbridge and
Clothier, was one of the original members, as was Walter
Lippincott of the Philadelphia publishing firm. I. Warner Arthur
was another member. He managed to take the time for it when he
was not busy running the Bryn Mawr Ice Company, his confectioner
and baker business, and his wheelwright shop. He also found time
to trade in real estate and wound up his career as Postmaster of
Bryn Mawr.
There was also Joseph J. Derham, the carriage builder,
who founded the body works in Rosemont that have established a
world renowned reputation for their custom made automobiles.
Among their clientele have been such dignitaries as the Pope and
Joseph Stalin. Another member was John S. Clarke, who with his
brother Louis S. Clarke, founded the Autocar Company in Ardmore.
Thus it was fairly easy to see how the Bryn Mawr Fire Company
came to be nicknamed the "Millionaire Fire Company." Some of the
other members not mentioned, although not as well off
financially, were nevertheless all solid citizens and the
backbone of the community. As they grew old and died, sons and
other volunteers filled their places. In this manner they have
perpetuated for the last fifty years.
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