This Italianate structure once housed the Paw Paw Fire Department, organized in 1868 and staffed by members who served without pay or compensation. At the department's 100th anniversary, it was said that for the past 100 years men from every corner of the community, from all walks of life and from every trade, skill, and profession, had met on a common level as members of the Paw Paw Volunteer Fire Department. Until the mid-19th century, fire engines were hauled by men or horses, and motorized fire engines did not become commonplace until the 20th century. In 1917, Paw Paw acquired its first motorized fire engine, a chemical tank built on the chassis of a Model T. The department moved to a new home on Berrien Street in the 1970s.