According to an 1871 Herald & Torchlight newspaper article, Fairplay was named in 1830 by one of the citizens "in consequence of the honorable and honest character of its inhabitants."
In 1870, Jacob Emmert donated the land for the Church of God at Fairplay, The church was "handsomely painted inside and out" and had a cupola with an 800 pound bell that could be heard for about six miles.
Services were held in this church from 1871 until 1948 when the congregation, now called the Maryland and Virginia Eldership of the Church of God, sold the property to the Volunteer Fire Company of Fairplay. A caveat was included in the deed stating that the property could never be used to serve alcohol.
The fire company protected the community from this location from 1948 until 1961 when they moved to their present location.
