Ancient and Honorable Mechanical Company of Baltimore photograph collection

The Ancient and Honorable Mechanical Company of Baltimore, known as "the oldest civic organization in the United States", was established in 1763 to protect life and property in the city of Baltimore which had about 2000 residents at the time. At its origin, the company "discharged nearly all the duties needed for the government of the town, its policing, magisterial functions, etc, and in addition, acted as firemen," according to company historian George W. McCreary. The company appointed the first sheriff and town commission, started the first school, built the first flour mill and the first hospital, and the first city council contained many company members. Members sometimes served as a unit in military operations, especially during the British attack on Baltimore in 1814. The organization served as volunteer firefighters until 1859, at which point Baltimore established a paid fire department and the Company turned over its equipment to the City. Since that time, the organization has engaged in mainly charitable and civic activities, as well as holding an annual banquet for members. They have made monetary donations to charities such as the Boys Home, and civic activities have included the erecting of monuments in the city and vicinity, and improvement and maintenance of local sites like the Baltimore Cemetery.

At points in its history, The Ancient and Honorable Mechanical Company has counted among its members many prominent and illustrious Baltimore citizens, as evidenced by the large number of city streets named for members: Stiles, Plowman, Aisquith, Holliday, McClellan, Hollingsworth, Mercer, Uhler’s Alley, Carey, Carroll, Covington, Edmonson, Gittings, Grundy, Hollins, Hillen, Lovegrove, McKim, McHenry, McMechen, Mosher, Oliver, Towson, Tyson, etc. Membership in the organization was traditionally through family ties, although in the 1960s this arrangement changed to accept members considered to be influential citizens.