It may seem like the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) has been around as long as New York itself, but the Metropolitan Fire Department, the city’s first organized fire department, dates back to 1865. Since then, the firefighters and first responders of FDNY have been on the scenes of disasters from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire to the 9/11 attacks to the height of the Covid pandemic, putting their own lives at risk to keep us safe. We thank them for their service, at the holidays and every day.
In 1879, Napoleon Lebrun was named lead architect for the fire department and designed a total of 42 firehouses throughout New York in response to a rapidly increasing population. In the years that followed, his designs served as templates for others. Over a century later, many of Lebrun's firehouses are situated in historic districts, if not designated landmarks themselves.
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Rendering of a never-built condo proposed above 78 Lafayette Street via Lot-ek
In light of New Yorkers’ appreciation for celebrated history and eye-catching architecture alike, many decommissioned firehouses are seeing new life as residential buildings. Andy Warhol rented Hook and Ladder Company 13's Upper East Side firehouse at his first real studio. Anderson Cooper famously renovated and restored Fire Patrol Building 2 in Greenwich Village. At 78 Lafayette Street, the chateau-inspired headquarters of Engine Company 31 were restored into the headquarters of the Downtown Community Television Center, and proposal was floated for a dramatically slanted, 19-story condominium to rise above the New York City landmark in 2007. A borough away, the buyer of the Fort Greene headquarters of Engine 256, which served as the headquarters of Spike Lee’s production company, filed permits to convert it to a single-family mansion.
“If the department had an old firehouse for every interested buyer with cash in his pocket, I do not think this city would be in debt today.” – Marvin Bogner, City Department of Real Estate
Plan to to turn an old firehouse at 223 East 25th Street in Kips Bay into residences and a community facility (Baxt Ingui Architects)
Construction on Engine Company 16, center (Compass)
More recently, the former home of Engine Company 16 in Gramercy is in the middle of a renovation, expansion, and conversion. Originally designed by Napoleon Le Brun, the former firehouse at 223 East 25th Street in Manhattan underwent a series of transformations. Built in the 19th century with a cast-iron ground floor and ornate architectural features, it served as a fire station until the 1960s. After being sold to The Ninth Church of Christ, Scientist and later to a private LLC, the building is now being converted into a residential building with a triplex, two apartments, and a ground-floor community facility. The building is also seeking the rigorous Passive House certification. The preservation and sustainability efforts of the project were recognized by NYSERDA, highlighting its commitment to sustainability and preserving historical elements while adapting to modern residential use.
6 Hancock Place (Serhant LLC)
In Harlem, the firehouse at 6 Hancock Place and neighboring lot 4 Hancock Place are on the market for a combined $10 million. The current owner, Tony Award-winning choreographer George Faison, has rebranded the site as the Faison Firehouse, using it as a home and a 130-seat theater. It is currently being marketed as a development project, but we hope that the historic facade remains a part of it.
In East Williamsburg, sales are underway at The Williamsburg Firehouse Lofts, the residential conversion of the original home of Engine Company No. 286, also known as the Brooklyn Gashouse Gang. Original features like 16-foot barrel-vaulted ceilings, exposed brick walls, extra-tall windows, and skylights have been beautifully preserved and restored. However, they also come with modern features like new appliances, contemporary fixtures and finishes, and private outdoor space. The building offers such amenities as a central laundry room, a bike room, and private storage.
The Williamsburg Firehouse Lofts, the the original home of Engine Company No. 286
“The tell tale 19th-century firehouse architecture – the arches, the red doors, the sets of windows – are easily recognizable, whether the building still functions as an FDNY firehouse, or has become a museum, a home, or a store.” – Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
Availabilities at The Williamsburg Firehouse Lofts range from a studio for $999K to a one-bedroom for $1.4 million. As of this writing, they represent the only opportunity to live in a onetime firehouse in New York City – there are far more interested buyers than available firehouses, and they are rarely on the market. We look at recently sold and converted firehouses
Firehouse Conversions Throughout NYC
Williamsburg Firehouse Lofts, #2B (The Corcoran Group)
From the Listing:
Bursting with history, charm and emanating the spirit of Brooklyn, this quintessential conversion offers a truly once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of New York City history, and to make it your dream home. These vastly spacious homes with their open concept living areas offer endless opportunities to customize and create a completely unique space that is a true reflection of their owner and suited for their unique way of life. Whether it’s a 12 person dining table, 15 foot book shelves, aerial yoga, or a place to park your vintage Vespa that you had in mind, 1196 Metropolitan has got you covered. Jaw dropping, 16-foot barrel vaulted ceilings, and walls of beautiful exposed brick envelope each home. See floor plan and full details here.
Bursting with history, charm and emanating the spirit of Brooklyn, this quintessential conversion offers a truly once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of New York City history, and to make it your dream home. These vastly spacious homes with their open concept living areas offer endless opportunities to customize and create a completely unique space that is a true reflection of their owner and suited for their unique way of life. Whether it’s a 12 person dining table, 15 foot book shelves, aerial yoga, or a place to park your vintage Vespa that you had in mind, 1196 Metropolitan has got you covered. Jaw dropping, 16-foot barrel vaulted ceilings, and walls of beautiful exposed brick envelope each home. See floor plan and full details here.
All images of 6 Hancock Place via William Raveis New York City
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From the listing:
This is your opportunity to secure a quintessential development project in prime South Harlem, in one of Harlem’s most sought after locations. Perched southwest of 125th Street & Saint Nicholas Avenue, sits 4 & 6 Hancock Place totaling over 30,000 square feet of prime real estate. Several options to develop a prime condominium, rental/condo building. Maintain the stunning facade of 6 Hancock Place (Firehouse / Theater), a structure sitting on a 28' × 94' lot with an allowable buildable of 12,570 square feet, (2,088 unused). Zoned: C4-4D, with a FAR: 6.022. Couple that property with the adjacent vacant lot of 4 Hancock Place, which measures 39' × 83' feet with a buildable of 18,367 square feet, Zoned: R7B with an FAR of 6.02 (ALL UNUSED). See floor plan and full details here.
This is your opportunity to secure a quintessential development project in prime South Harlem, in one of Harlem’s most sought after locations. Perched southwest of 125th Street & Saint Nicholas Avenue, sits 4 & 6 Hancock Place totaling over 30,000 square feet of prime real estate. Several options to develop a prime condominium, rental/condo building. Maintain the stunning facade of 6 Hancock Place (Firehouse / Theater), a structure sitting on a 28' × 94' lot with an allowable buildable of 12,570 square feet, (2,088 unused). Zoned: C4-4D, with a FAR: 6.022. Couple that property with the adjacent vacant lot of 4 Hancock Place, which measures 39' × 83' feet with a buildable of 18,367 square feet, Zoned: R7B with an FAR of 6.02 (ALL UNUSED). See floor plan and full details here.
All images of 160 Chambers Street via Elliman
From the listing:
Upon entering there is a foyer with a floor to ceiling closet which opens to the living/dining area.The living room has 3 large windows that allow light to pour in all day. Also featuring a working fireplace that's surrounded by beautiful built ins and bookcases for additional storage.The open kitchen has plenty of cabinet space and top-of-the-line appliances such as a Sub-Zero refrigerator, Kitchen Aid dishwasher and a Viking stove. See floor plan and full details here.
Upon entering there is a foyer with a floor to ceiling closet which opens to the living/dining area.The living room has 3 large windows that allow light to pour in all day. Also featuring a working fireplace that's surrounded by beautiful built ins and bookcases for additional storage.The open kitchen has plenty of cabinet space and top-of-the-line appliances such as a Sub-Zero refrigerator, Kitchen Aid dishwasher and a Viking stove. See floor plan and full details here.
All images of 78 Morton Street via Leslie J. Garfield & Co.
From the listing:
This former firehouse, now with a four-car garage, has been transformed into a 7,281 square foot architectural masterpiece. This five-story home exemplifies luxury, which is showcased throughout the home's grand living spaces as well as intricate craftsmanship. The ground floor has been precisely designed to accommodate a number of uses depending on the owner's personal interests. See floor plan and full details here.
This former firehouse, now with a four-car garage, has been transformed into a 7,281 square foot architectural masterpiece. This five-story home exemplifies luxury, which is showcased throughout the home's grand living spaces as well as intricate craftsmanship. The ground floor has been precisely designed to accommodate a number of uses depending on the owner's personal interests. See floor plan and full details here.
All images of 183 Concord Street via Compass
From the listing:
Development site, warehouse plus office space, art gallery, company headquarters, performance space, mixed-use retail with residential, or single-family or multi-family home -- with a curb cut. This 25-foot-wide former firehouse dating from the 1930s can be reimagined as built or expanded to suit a variety of different uses. Currently configured as a warehouse on the ground floor, a sunny second story with two units, and a storage basement, this 94' deep building is built to approximately 4,600 sf, with an additional 3,900 buildable square feet as of right. See floor plan and full details here.
Development site, warehouse plus office space, art gallery, company headquarters, performance space, mixed-use retail with residential, or single-family or multi-family home -- with a curb cut. This 25-foot-wide former firehouse dating from the 1930s can be reimagined as built or expanded to suit a variety of different uses. Currently configured as a warehouse on the ground floor, a sunny second story with two units, and a storage basement, this 94' deep building is built to approximately 4,600 sf, with an additional 3,900 buildable square feet as of right. See floor plan and full details here.
159 East 87th Street, Carnegie Hill
Hook and Ladder Company 13 | Built in 1910
Art gallery and studio
The Chelsea Firehouse, 323 West 21st Street
Built in 1865
Rental
84 West 3rd Street, Greenwich Village
New York Fire Patrol | Built in 1906
Townhouse
124 Dekalb Avenue, Fort Greene
Engine No. 256 | Built in 1895
Townhouse
70 Barrow Street, West Village
Hook and Ladder Company | Built in 1853
Rental
102 Charles Street, West Village
Columbia Hook and Ladder Company | Built in 1854
Townhouse
31 Saint Felix Street, Fort Greene
Engine Company 226 | Built in 1880
Condominium
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
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