About Us > History

Carroll's rich history of service began over 100 years ago:

In 1907, Benson Phelps and Carroll Faye opened a coal yard on Franklin Road in Baltimore, and the Carroll Independent Fuel Company was born.

In those days, Carroll delivered coal and wood to homes throughout Baltimore by horse-drawn wagon. The operation soon expanded to a second yard, providing both commercial soft coal and anthracite hard coal for residential use.

Mr. Phelps assumed full ownership of the company after Mr. Faye sold his interest. Later, more new locations were opened in the 1920's and '30's.

By 1935, the switch was on. Oil was quickly displacing coal as the energy of choice. Carroll Independent adapted by opening several oil burner showrooms around Baltimore, adding tankers to our fleet and offering expanded services to facilitate our growing residential and commercial customer base.

From horse-drawn coal wagons to today's high-tech delivery vehicles, Carroll has developed into the full-service company that is prepared for your service and fuel needs!

Benson Phelps' sons Richard, Stanley and Calvin managed Carroll's steady growth up through the 1970's. The acquisitions of Herman Fisher Oil, Dunlap Fuel, County Fuel Company, Blomeier Brothers, Kustom Fuel, Clark Oil, S. Lease Warner, Toomey, Berwyn Fuel, and L.C. Parker Fuel since then have dramatically increased Carroll's customer base and scope of products and services.

During the 1980's Carroll Fuel signed a contract with Citgo Petroleum and established itself in the branded gasoline business. Several years later, Carroll entered into a new partnership with Mobil, giving Carroll two strong brands to bring to the market. In January 2006, Carroll added a third brand with the addition of 70 BP outlets to its existing network of 140 dealers.


Today, Carroll Branded Fuels is as strong as ever. Our rich heritage has taught us the importance of customer service, and we continue to adhere to the values of quality, reliability, and service on which our company was founded over 100 years ago. When you enter into a relationship with Carroll, you can be confident you can Count on Carroll for all fuel and service needs!