Founded by Ben Franklin, The Philadelphia Contributionship is the longest tenured insurance company in the country.

In 1730, the most disastrous fire to rage in Philadelphia's history burst from the timbers of Fishbourn's wharf, a Delaware River structure. All the stores on the wharf burned and the fire spread across the street destroying three more homes.

Damage ran into several thousand pounds. Benjamin Franklin commented in his Gazette that as there was no wind that evening, if people had been provided with good engines and firefighting instruments, the fire would likely have been contained.

After that blaze, the Common Council of Philadelphia ordered fire equipment imported from England. Leather buckets, fire hooks, ladders, and engines were distributed at strategic points around town.