The Sperryville Volunteer Fire Department was chartered in 1947 by a small group of dedicated citizens, many of them recent veterans of World War II. Historically, a single fire company had served all of Rappahannock County, but the founding members recognized the growing need for a second company to provide fire protection around Sperryville.

A large crowd gathered for the first organizational meeting at Sperryville High School Auditorium, where Garland M. Black was elected as fire chief. James A. Estes offered his red barn (behind the present-day post office) to become the first fire station. Each of the 15 charter members contributed $200 of their own money to purchase a government surplus open-cab 1938 USA fire truck from Fort Meade, Maryland.

For the next 20 years, the members of Company 2 provided fire service across an area that stretched to the Madison and Culpeper county lines—all with secondhand apparatus acquired from other departments. Only in 1957 did we purchase our first new apparatus—a FWD fire engine with a four-wheel drive that could manage the steep terrain and hard winters of Rappahannock County.

In 1938, USA fire trucks were built at Camp Holabird in Baltimore, MD (LEFT). They carried 150 gallons of water with a 750 GPM pump. Considered a rare antique today, Sperryville Volunteer Fire Department still cherishes the original apparatus that served our community for so long (RIGHT).

The FWD fire engine (ABOVE) was the first new apparatus purchased by SVFD & became the pride of parades down Main Street, Sperryville (BELOW). The Sperryville Fire Company’s rapid response made the Rappahannock News March 13, 1958 (RIGHT)

The pumper proved a hard worker until one night in 1962, returning from a parade in Marshall, the truck was struck and flipped. Thankfully nobody was seriously injured and the department replaced the pumper with a new Ford American LaFrance. In 1970, we added a new Dodge 1-ton Power Wagon 4-wheel drive mini pumper that we refurbished in 1980.

It took the department almost 50 years to purchase an all-wheel drive pumper tanker that was built to the design specifications for our community. Through federal grants, loans, and generous local support, we’ve managed to expand our current fleet of apparatus to meet the broad and growing needs of a rural department, from fighting brush and structure fires to staging emergency response for car accidents and natural disasters.

In addition to keeping our community safe, the fire department represents the beating heart of Sperryville itself. Many of our members represent multiple generations of some of the oldest families in Rappahannock County. A lifetime of memories are tied to the fire department and our long history of carnivals, fundraisers, raffles, dances, weddings, funerals, reunions, parades, school visits, and above all, our Fourth of July celebration.

Sperryville Firefighters Ronnie Dodson, Greg Weyland, Rickie Lillard & Richie Burke attend to a car accident during heavy snowfall in 1989.(Rappahannock News 16 February, 1989)

We celebrated our 60th anniversary in 2007, then our 75th anniversary in 2022 . In 2023, we purchased a state-of-the-art brush truck with funds raised at our Fourth of July celebration. Since those earliest days in the red barn, over 170 members have served with Sperryville Volunteer Fire Department. We remain committed to the original vision of our founding members in keeping our community safe from fire and other hazards, as well as providing emergency response wherever its needed. As we look to the future, we are grateful to all who have served with us and for the community that we love and are privileged to protect.

OUR HISTORY