Our Story

No one wants to face a disaster on their own. When tough times hit, people have always turned to family, friends, neighbors, or community groups to lend a hand. And sometimes, insurance companies step in too. Mutual insurers like Northern Neck were born out of this community spirit, and the mutual ethos is still the driving force behind everything we do.

Our story begins in the late 1800s. If you owned a home back then, you lived in dire fear of fire. Without firetrucks or running water, a stray spark or lightning strike could destroy your home and bankrupt your family.

The Power of Mutuality

In 1896, the people of Irvington recognized that the risk of fire didn’t have to be borne alone. A group of 37 homeowners banded together to form the Northern Neck Mutual Fire Association of Virginia. By pooling their resources, these founding member-owners gained the ability to protect their futures by rebuilding a home leveled by fire.

In the century that followed, membership in the Association expanded statewide, providing coverage for thousands of homes throughout Virginia. In 1987, we changed our name to Northern Neck Insurance Company to reflect a growing portfolio of insurance products and services, including auto coverage. 

Today, Northern Neck insures tens of thousands of member-owners in every corner of the state. For all of our success, we’re still a small company by the standards of today’s insurance industry. We are Virginia-only by choice because we believe that the world needs better insurance companies, not bigger ones. So we have kept our focus local to ensure our business is built of personal relationships the way it always has been. So when we say we protect our neighbors, friends, and family – that’s exactly what we mean.

We are proud to be a mutual insurer, which means every policyholder is also a part-owner of the company. Instead of passing profits to a handful of shareholders, we invest them back into the company to create better products and keep premiums low for our members. Along the way, we keep offering products designed to meet the needs of our local markets while striving to provide the best service in the business. It's not exactly rocket science, but in today's world we think it's pretty special.