Founded in 1959 and incorporated in 1960, the Plainsboro Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 was an organization comprised of residents and dedicated to the safety of residents. There were twelve founding members, including Howard Grant, Joseph Dorgan, Joseph Sherwin, and Walter Carson.

The original firehouse was located in a cinder block building behind the Plainsboro Hardware Store. This building lacked a heating system, so they relied upon a pipeless coal fired heater to keep the water in the trucks from freezing. Two years later they moved to their current location on Plainsboro Road, which was donated by the Wicoff family and Walker Gordon Farms. This firehouse was built by local volunteers, some of whom were related to current department members like Ted Wagner Sr., father of current member Roy Wagner.

Through generous donations of time, effort, and money, the new firehouse was completed. After the completion of the firehouse, Walker Gordon Farms supplied the first fire alarm system. This rudimentary system relied on a fireman blowing a steam whistle to alert other firemen living nearby that there was a fire. Those who could not hear the steam whistle were alerted by telephone. In 2022, the whistle was donated to the museum by the Plainsboro Volunteer Fire Company. Check it out next time you visit the museum!