Commonwealth Mutual Fire Insurance Company history

On May 13, 1889, James A. Beaver, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, issued Letters of Patent to the Donegal and Conoy Mutual Fire Insurance Company, Marietta, Pennsylvania.

Our company was founded February 24, 1896 as the "Grayson County Farmers Mutual Benevolent Fire Insurance Company". According to the original charter, the founding members included: Eli Hale, John M. McLean, Hardin Cox, James D. Perkins, and George W. Gilham.

In 1919, as the company continued to grow, Donegal and Conoy purchased its first office building in downtown Marietta.

By 1920, the company adopted the tagline “Adjustments Made and Losses Paid Before the Sun Sets.” The company’s growth would continue through the next three decades as its base of operations expanded.

In 1940, a period began of considerable expansion in the writings of Farmers Fire.

As the company celebrated its 60th anniversary in 1949, premium writings had risen to over $600,000, the Marietta office was expanded, and a new name was adopted, Donegal Mutual Insurance Company.

In 1952, the company installed its first IBM accounting equipment, and Donegal Mutual began writing homeowners policies using this equipment.

The new office was completed and occupied by late summer and is still in use by the company today. As a result of almost ninety years growth and the growth spurt ignited by the merger with the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Association of Wythe County, Inc. our company was growing out of the space provided by the office building constructed in 1970.

The year 1976 brought additional growth and expansion to Donegal Mutual, with the acquisition of Reading Mutual Insurance Company, a small mutual company in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and Laurel State Mutual Insurance Company of Wyomissing, also in Pennsylvania.

In 1977, the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Association of Wythe County, Inc. was merged into Grayson-Carroll Mutual Fire Insurance Company.

In 1980, Donegal Mutual reported premium writings in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania of approximately $30 million.

The purchase was made in February 1983 and construction on a new office building began immediately.

In 1984 Donegal Mutual acquired the charter of Southern Mutual Insurance Company in Virginia, known today as Southern Insurance Company of Virginia.

In 1986, our company made its first investment in computer technology.

In December 1992, the Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Bland County was merged into Grayson-Carroll-Wythe Mutual Fire Insurance Company.

In 1997, our company opened an insurance agency.

So in 1998, its training center opened in Marietta.

In 2001, the mergers of Delaware Atlantic Insurance Company and Pioneer Insurance Company (New York) into Atlantic States Insurance Company were completed.

The Donegal Insurance Group’s Midwest expansion strategy entered its next phase in 2002, as Donegal Group Inc. acquired Le Mars Insurance Company, providing access to four additional Midwestern states.

The Donegal Insurance Group’s commitment to automation and ease of doing business prompted the 2004 construction of a new Technology Center as an addition to its corporate headquarters.

WritePro, an automated Personal Lines quoting, underwriting and issuing system, was released in 2005.

In 2006, the mergers of Southern Heritage Insurance Company into Southern Insurance Company of Virginia and Pioneer Insurance Company (Ohio) into Atlantic States Insurance Company were completed.

In 2007, our company purchased new state-of-the-art software to help in preparation of the NAIC Annual Statement.

In October 2008, our company acquired its first fully automated policy management system.

The Group’s ongoing plan for prudent growth continued in 2009, as Donegal Mutual entered into an affiliation agreement with Southern Mutual Insurance Company.

The first independent agency was appointed in June 2010.