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71-685: The Old Brooklyn Fire Headquarters is a historic building located at 365–367 Jay Street near Willoughby Street in Downtown Brooklyn , New York City . Designed by Frank Freeman in the Richardsonian Romanesque Revival style and built in 1892 for the Brooklyn Fire Department , it was used as a fire station until the 1970s, after which it was converted into residential apartments. The building, described as "one of New York's best and most striking architectural compositions",

142-518: A 9-1-1 outage. Recommendations by the emergency services teams in Massachusetts to locate and use the boxes were issued in a subsequent outage of the 9-1-1 system as well. In the later years of their use and proliferation, some fire boxes were designed with special devices and other functions in place in an attempt to curb the nuisance of false alarms . Some of these included an "ear-shattering" wail that would cause discomfort to someone activating

213-405: A pen recorder , and the box number is matched to a list of box locations. In modern installations a computer receives and translates the pulses; in unmanned installations in small communities, the box number may be sounded out by a horn or bell audible community-wide. Some call boxes can be wired to a Fire alarm control panel or annunciator to send a signal to a fire station or dispatch center when

284-622: A 50-foot (15 m) wide frontage on the east side of Jay Street and a depth of 100 feet (30 m). By the 1990s, the Old Brooklyn Fire Headquarters was one of a small number of structures designed by Freeman that remained intact. The building's design is an example of the New York branch of the Chicago architectural school . The street-level facade is largely made of red Jonesboro granite , trimmed with red Lake Superior sandstone . On

355-524: A 95% market share . Though fire alarm boxes remain in use, many communities have removed them, relying instead on the widespread availability of landline and cellular telephones. Cities like San Francisco still rely heavily on fire alarm boxes for redundancy in case of emergency. Some municipalities still maintain their fire alarm boxes near schools and other sensitive locations. The simplicity of telegraph alarm boxes and their associated networks means that they are able to operate under conditions (such as

426-502: A Master Plan for the Civic Center, which included an ambitious public improvements program. The program included plans for new buildings for City and State agencies, significant street widening and major housing construction in adjacent areas. A study conducted eight years later highlighted the progress made, emphasizing the widening of Adams Street (and later Boerum Place), which created a long and sweeping approach to Downtown Brooklyn from

497-595: A commercial center, and the heart of the City of Brooklyn . The city was home to many prominent abolitionists at a time when most of New York was indifferent to slavery. Many Brooklyn churches agitated against legalized slavery in the 1850s and 1860s and some acted as safehouses as part of the Underground Railroad movement. Walt Whitman was fired from his job as a reporter at the Brooklyn Eagle due to his support for

568-681: A couple of black-and-white cookies during an October 2013 visit with Bill de Blasio . 9 DeKalb Avenue , a residential skyscraper adjacent to the Dime Savings Bank of New York . Upon completion, it became the first supertall building in Brooklyn and the tallest structure in New York City outside of Manhattan. Cadman Plaza Park, named for the historically prominent (and Brooklyn-based) liberal Protestant clergyman/broadcaster S. Parkes Cadman , provides 10 acres (40,000 m ) of green space in

639-490: A deteriorated roof, as well as non-functioning elevator and heat service. As part of the project, PACC worked with developer MDG Design + Construction to restore the facade to its original design, as well as to replace the elevator. In addition, a deteriorated vault under the sidewalk, above the New York City Subway 's Jay Street–MetroTech station , was fixed. The facade renovation had been completed by November 2014, and

710-571: A fire alarm is activated in a particular building. Telegraph systems do not give any information about why an alarm was triggered, only the box number which tells firefighters where to respond. The first telegraph fire alarm system was developed by William Francis Channing and Moses G. Farmer in Boston , Massachusetts in 1852. Two years later they applied for a patent for their "Electromagnetic Fire Alarm Telegraph for Cities." In 1855, John Gamewell of South Carolina purchased regional rights to market

781-604: A fire safety research center for Poly Tech, with laboratories. The building remained empty for several years. Poly Tech announced in January 1980 that it would renovate the building after raising $ 750,000 for the project. Most of the funds came from grants, which included $ 50,000 from the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation , $ 245,000 from the Fleischmann Foundation, $ 450,000 from

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852-469: A flat-arched lintel . The rest of the ground story is clad in granite and sandstone up to the sills beneath the second-story windows. On the upper stories, the Jay Street elevation of the facade is divided vertically into three bays and have a buff-brick facade with terracotta trim. The leftmost bay includes the watchtower and contains two narrow windows on each of the second through fifth floors. Each of

923-514: A lengthy or widespread power outage, a natural disaster, or any emergency causing many people to attempt to contact others simultaneously) which may disrupt or disable other communication systems such as landline phones, cellular phones, and emergency services' radio systems. Despite lack of popular awareness that the boxes still work, a fire box was used to report a fire in Boston in December 2018 during

994-571: A modernized Brooklyn Bridge. By the late 1960s, the patterns of transition that affected much of urban America initiated concern to protect the borough's Central Business District from deterioration. In 1969, a comprehensive plan for the entire city was completed and in the report the City Planning Commission stated, "Downtown Brooklyn's economy is vital to the borough and important to the entire metropolitan region." In re-affirming Downtown Brooklyn's central role and identifying its problems,

1065-424: A quartered-oak staircase, as well as an elevator directly behind it. The original elevator had wrought iron doors and was still in use in the 2010s. The Brooklyn Fire Department , which served the then-independent city of Brooklyn, New York, during the 19th century, had outgrown its old headquarters in Downtown Brooklyn by the late 1880s. This prompted the department to begin planning a new fire headquarters with

1136-447: A slender, semicircular turret with a conical roof which rises the full height of the building. Two similar turrets, one on the outer edge of each wing, complement the central turret. Each of the turrets measures 4.5 feet (1.4 m) in diameter and is topped by a terracotta finial. There are decorative studs above the tower arch and cylindrical holes around the tops of the turrets. The top of the watchtower, rising 40 feet (12 m) above

1207-556: A tall lookout tower. At the time, Engine Company 17, a volunteer company of the Brooklyn Fire Department, had a firehouse on Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn. In November 1890, Brooklyn mayor Alfred C. Chapin agreed to buy a plot of land at 365 Jay Street, adjacent to the quarters of Engine Company 17, from local Democratic Party leader Hugh "Boss" McLaughlin for $ 15,000. Initially, city works commissioner John P. Adams

1278-405: A tiled vestibule and hallway; it had heavy oak doorways of antique finish. The ground story also had garages with space for motor vehicles and stables for horses. Part of the rear of the ground floor was divided into stalls. The stables and garages had a concrete floor, as well as enameled brick walls. The second and third floors were devoted to offices, record rooms, and storage rooms. The front of

1349-507: A unit which utilized a Packard sedan modified to carry searchlights, in an era before fire engines were fitted with their own searchlights. In 1966, the building was designated as a New York City landmark, and in 1972 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The FDNY had moved out of the building by 1972, and it opened a new headquarters nearby in 1981. After the FDNY vacated

1420-614: A wider investigation of corruption in the Brooklyn Fire Department. The fire department finally began moving into the building on March 15, 1894. Though originally intended as the Brooklyn Fire Department's headquarters, the building only served as such until 1898. After the City of Brooklyn became a borough of the City of Greater New York in 1898, the building became "simply, the most splendid neighborhood firehouse in Greater New York", as Francis Morrone and James Iska described it. The building

1491-665: The AIA Guide to New York City that "this is a building to write home about. A powerful Romanesque Revival brick, granite and tile structure." Paul Goldberger wrote in 1986: "It is too derivative to be called truly original, but it is no less wonderful for that – this noble building seems to reach out and give us a bear hug, reminding us that public architecture can be both monumental and friendly." The design has also been characterized in The New York Times as "exuberant and lusty". According to Christopher Gray of The New York Times ,

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1562-594: The Board of Estimate approved the complex's construction in July 1987 on the condition that the developers add 46 apartments for low-income and elderly people to MetroTech Center; the city planned to provide 18 apartments in the Brooklyn Fire Headquarters. This would allow some of the displaced residents to live near the former sites of their homes. At the time, the firehouse's facade was extremely dilapidated. Supporters of

1633-848: The Cranberry Street Tunnel provide that service. Slightly farther north, the Manhattan Bridge ( B , ​ D ​, N , and ​ Q trains) and Rutgers Street Tunnel ( F and <F> ​ trains) also feed subway trains from the Lower East Side into Downtown Brooklyn. Major stations in the neighborhood are: A $ 130 million capital project to connect Lawrence Street–MetroTech ( N , R , and ​ W trains) and Jay Street–Borough Hall ( A , ​ C ​, and F and <F> ​ trains), which also included renovation of both stations,

1704-888: The IRT Lexington Avenue Line ( 4 and ​ 5 trains) via the Joralemon Street Tunnel , the BMT Broadway and BMT Nassau Street Lines ( N , R , and ​ W trains) via the Montague Street Tunnel , the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line ( 2 and ​ 3 trains) via the Clark Street Tunnel and the IND Eighth Avenue Line ( A and ​ C trains) via

1775-537: The NYU Tandon School of Engineering and its surrounding Downtown Brooklyn-based campus. Downtown Brooklyn is part of Brooklyn Community District 2 and its primary ZIP Codes are 11201 and 11217. It is patrolled by the 84th and 88th Precincts of the New York City Police Department . This area was originally inhabited by Lenape Native Americans , until the 17th century. The area close to

1846-490: The New York City College of Technology , Adelphi University 's Brooklyn Center and Long Island University 's LIU Brooklyn campus. Fire alarm telegraph When the box is activated by turning a knob or pulling a hook, a spring-loaded wheel turns, tapping out a pulsed electrical signal corresponding to the box's number. A receiver at fire headquarters announces the alarm through flashing lights or tones, or via

1917-548: The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development . Under city ownership, the deterioration continued; in 2006, the New York Times said that the building had a "musty, neglected air" and was in need of maintenance, with parts of its roofing having disintegrated. The facade as a whole had become dirty and deteriorated over the years. In 2008, nonprofit organization Pratt Area Community Council (PACC)

1988-643: The Thomas Jefferson Association Building for the Kings County Democrats, was selected. The Commission on Small Sites approved Freeman's plans for a buff brick, stone, and terracotta fire station on March 23, 1891; the same month, the fire department awarded a contract for the replacement for its telegraph apparatus, which was in the old firehouse. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle published a sketch of Freeman's design that June. The fire department temporarily relocated to Lawrence Street while

2059-469: The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development . Several contractors submitted bids for the project, and the FDNY began reviewing bids in early 1981. Poly Tech had moved out by 1986. MetroTech Center , a commercial and educational complex, was developed next to the Brooklyn Fire Headquarters in the late 1980s, requiring 150 low-income or elderly residents to relocate. In July 1987,

2130-636: The Wallabout Bay was called Rinnegokonk. At that time the Dutch arrived, gained control of the land, and called it Breuckelen. The waterfront area being sold by Indians to Joris Jansen Rapelje , who used the land for farm purposes. Until 1814, Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights remained sparsely populated. Robert Fulton 's new steam ferry then began to offer an easy commuting option to and from downtown Manhattan. It made Brooklyn Heights Manhattan's first suburb , and put Downtown Brooklyn on its way to becoming

2201-755: The Wilmot Proviso when he lived at Willoughby and Myrtle Avenues . A group of buildings at 223, 225, 227, 231, 233, and 235 Duffield Street, in addition to the African Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church located in MetroTech Center, were believed to be among the safehouses. The middle 19th century growth of the Port of New York caused shipping to spill over into the City of Brooklyn; many buildings now used for other purposes were built as warehouses and factories. Manufacturing intensified with

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2272-650: The borough of Brooklyn . The neighborhood is known for its office and residential buildings, such as the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower and the MetroTech Center office complex. Since the rezoning of Downtown Brooklyn in 2004, the area has been undergoing a transformation, with $ 9 billion of private investment and $ 300 million in public improvements underway. The area is a growing hub for education. In 2017, New York University announced that it would invest over $ 500 million to renovate and expand

2343-590: The Borough Hall Greenmarket , featuring fresh produce from local farmers, operates on the plaza fronting Borough Hall. Formerly called Supreme Court Plaza, the location was renamed as Columbus Park in 1986. MetroTech Center , a business and educational center, lies between Flatbush Avenue and Jay Street, above the Jay Street – MetroTech subway station, north of the Fulton Street Mall , and south of

2414-492: The Brooklyn Fire Headquarters was given to residents of a city block that was being razed to make way for the Securities Industry Automation Corporation 's headquarters. The conversion began in 1989, partly on the grounds that continued use would prevent the building from falling into decay. The Black United Fund of New York took over the building from the 1990s until 2005, when ownership returned to

2485-580: The Brooklyn Main Post Office at 271 Cadman Plaza East. Downtown Brooklyn is connected with Manhattan by the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. The neighborhood has extensive public transportation accessibility; it is served by the New York City Subway and many bus lines. All but one Manhattan trunk line in Lower Manhattan has a direct connection to Downtown Brooklyn. From south to north,

2556-529: The Plan was optimistic that a combination of public and private efforts would stimulate office and commercial construction. A 23-story privately financed office tower at Boerum Place and Livingston Street opened in 1971 and the anticipated growth of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) succeeded far beyond expectations, giving this cultural institution an important role as a symbolic anchor amid increasing decay during

2627-685: The area in the next five years. In January 2008, residents started moving into the new residential buildings, according to a New York Sun article. The New York City Department of City Planning approved another, significant rezoning for portions of Downtown Brooklyn, including the Fulton Mall area, which resulted in significant expansion of office space and ground-floor retail, such as those at City Point . The rezoning consists of "zoning map and zoning text changes, new public open spaces, pedestrian and transit improvements, urban renewal, [and] street mappings". The City Planning initiative also seeks to improve

2698-431: The area's hospitality industry having tripled since 2004. Some of this gentrification was controversial, however. In 2007, the city government was to acquire the houses at 223–235 Duffield Street via eminent domain , then demolish the houses and replace them with 500 new hotel rooms, 1,000 units of mixed-income housing , more than 500,000 square feet of retail space, and at least 125,000 square feet of new office space in

2769-502: The area; however, only 231 Duffield Street was replaced by a hotel. Still, this caused historians to protest over the planned demolition of the historic houses because of their importance to abolitionists during the American Civil War . Downtown Brooklyn is the civic and commercial downtown center of the former City of Brooklyn , which, as of 2020, has more than 2.7 million residents. Alongside immediately adjacent neighborhoods,

2840-658: The building of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges ; buildings from that time include the 1915 Sperry Gyroscope Company building, now known as the Howard Building of the New York City College of Technology . New, extensive infrastructure served the Brooklyn Bridge trolleys . Following World War II , the City Planning Commission , in conjunction with the Borough President's Office, presented and adopted

2911-464: The building to Poly Tech, refused to accept any money from Battista other than his $ 11,000 down payment . The New York City Board of Estimate had planned to nullify the sale but delayed its plans to do so after Battista threatened to sue in April 1975. By 1976, the city had taken back the building and leased it to Poly Tech for 50 years for a nominal fee . At the time, the building was to be renovated into

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2982-526: The building was "a heroic masterpiece of the Romanesque Revival". When Gray critiqued the building in 2006, he wrote that it had been overshadowed by an adjacent civic skyscraper that was developed in the 1950s. Critics also praised specific parts of the design. Goldberger wrote that the building "is strong and sensual; its deep arch and rounded columns suggest that Freeman knew civic power and civic graciousness need not be incompatible." Morrone wrote that

3053-500: The building's entrance was "one of the boldest and most mellifluously carved arches" in Brooklyn. According to the LPC, the overall color scheme was "both subtle and ingenious." Downtown Brooklyn Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City (after Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan ), and is located in the northwestern section of

3124-451: The busy Tillary Street. The original location of Junior's , founded by Harry Rosen in 1950. The building, at the corner of DeKalb Avenue and Flatbush Avenue Extension, is 17,000 square feet of red-and-white-striped menus, flashbulb-adorned signs, rust-colored booths and a wooden bar. A shrine to the Brooklyn of old, it has become a must-visit for politicians from borough presidents to President Barack Obama , who bought two cheesecakes and

3195-464: The connections between Downtown and the adjacent neighborhoods of Cobble Hill , Boerum Hill , and Fort Greene . As of March 2012 , the rezoning of Downtown Brooklyn had caused gentrification in nearby neighborhoods. Affordable housing was created in the area after the 2004 rezoning, with 420 affordable units in 2014. The housing increase has also resulted in positive effects on other aspects of Downtown Brooklyn's economy as well, with revenues for

3266-448: The conversion project said it would provide funding for the building's restoration while adding much-needed affordable housing units, while opponents said the project would destroy the building's architectural integrity. The Board of Estimate had overruled opponents' concerns by late 1987, mandating that the building be converted to residential uses. The conversion was to be funded by MetroTech's developer, Forest City . Priority for units in

3337-479: The entire project was finished in 2015. The Brooklyn Fire Headquarters has generally been positively received. The Landmarks Preservation Commission's designation report described it as "one of New York's best and most striking architectural compositions" and "one of the finest buildings in Brooklyn." Architecture critic Francis Morrone has characterized it as "simply, the most splendid neighborhood firehouse in Greater New York", while architect Norval White wrote in

3408-531: The fire alarm telegraph, later obtaining the patents and full rights to the system in 1859. John F. Kennard bought the patents from the government after they were seized after the Civil War, returned them to Gamewell, and formed a partnership, Kennard and Co., in 1867 to manufacture the alarm systems. The Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph Co . was later formed in 1879. Gamewell systems were installed in 250 cities by 1886 and 500 cities in 1890. By 1910, Gamewell had gained

3479-403: The following decade. After suffering with the rest of New York through the fiscal crisis of the mid-1970s, Borough President Howard Golden , first elected in 1977, moved forward with a more aggressive economic development program to revitalize Downtown Brooklyn. He identified the need for greater equity in resource allocation between Manhattan and the city's other boroughs. An important moment in

3550-409: The front of the main structure contained the operating room and a linemen's room. The battery room, measuring 36 by 44 feet (11 by 13 m), was in the rear. All stories, except the ground floor, contained wood finishes, mainly old oak. In addition, the floors and walls of the offices were tiled. Polished-bronze hardware was used throughout the building, except at the main entrance. The building had

3621-692: The general area encompasses Brooklyn Borough Hall , the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Municipal Building , the Kings County New York State Courthouse and the Eastern District of New York 's Theodore Roosevelt United States Courthouse . Attractions within the area include the Fulton Mall , the Brooklyn Academy of Music , the New York Transit Museum and Barclays Center . Three days a week

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3692-431: The ground floor is a recessed 16-foot-tall (4.9 m) arch with a garage door through which the fire engines once drove. The arch was decorated with floral ornament, and a sign with the words "Fire Headquarters" was hung above the arch. The public entrance, to the left of the garage door, was composed of oak doors that opened into the lobby. These doors were flanked by granite columns with granite capitals , which supported

3763-436: The history of Downtown Brooklyn came in 1983 with the release of a Regional Plan Association report for the area. According to the document, Downtown Brooklyn could become the city's third-largest business district because of its proximity to Lower Manhattan (closer by subway than Midtown). It also could serve as a prime location for high technology industries and new market-rate housing. The State Street Houses Historic District

3834-494: The invited architects, George Ingram and J. C. Cody & Co., declined to participate in the competition. The other architects submitted designs in multiple architectural styles, including the Romanesque and 15th-century French Renaissance styles. At this point, a dispute arose as to the choice of architect. Ennis favored a protege of McLaughlin, but Adams preferred another firm. Eventually, Frank Freeman, who had recently completed

3905-538: The neighborhood, and was recently renovated by the New York City Parks Department. These and other parks form a long mall from Borough Hall to Brooklyn Bridge. A new park is also planned for the area, known as the Willoughby Square Park. At the northeastern corner of Downtown Brooklyn is Bridge Plaza, bounded by Flatbush Avenue Extension and Manhattan Bridge on the west, Tillary Street on

3976-412: The old firehouse was razed and replaced. By July 1892, the exterior work had been completed, and contractors were installing finishes on the interior. The new building was completed in late 1892 at a total cost of $ 150,000, but it was not occupied for another year. Even before the headquarters officially opened, Brooklyn officials had looked into the high costs of the building's telegraph system as part of

4047-454: The premises, the city government held an auction the building in January 1975, in which only nonprofit educational institutions were allowed to bid. City officials had expected to sell the firehouse to Poly Tech , which had bid $ 15,000. New York state legislator Vito P. Battista ultimately submitted a high bid of $ 55,000; he planned to relocate his Institute of Design and Construction to the building. The city government, which had wanted to sell

4118-736: The private school German School of Brooklyn moved all levels to its permanent site at 9 Hanover Place in Downtown Brooklyn. The Khalil Gibran International Academy High School opened in September 2024. Schools situated within or in the immediate periphery of the district include Brooklyn Technical High School (one of the city's nine selective specialized high schools ), Brooklyn Friends School , Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School , St. Francis College , St. Joseph's College , Brooklyn Law School , New York University 's Tandon School of Engineering and Center for Urban Science and Progress ,

4189-428: The rezoning of parts of Downtown Brooklyn in 2004 to allow for denser residential development, the area has seen the arrival of new condominium towers, townhouses, and office conversions. In all, 14,000 residential units were planned for Downtown Brooklyn at that time. A New York Sun article from November 7, 2007, reports on the arrival of Downtown Brooklyn as a 24/7 community, estimating that 35,000 residents will come to

4260-417: The roof of the main building, was originally topped by a flagpole, above which was a huge gilded eagle with outstretched wings. The basement had a concrete floor and contained various pieces of mechanical equipment, including an elevator room, boilers, and pumps. Telephone lines, telegraph lines, and signal wires entered the building through the basement. At ground level, the watchtower's main entrance led into

4331-415: The second floor had three offices, one each for the commissioner, the deputy commissioner, and the department's chief engineer. In the rear were administrative offices and a bathroom, as well as a safekeeping vault measuring 10 by 10 feet (3.0 by 3.0 m). The third floor contained the archives room, supply rooms, and the quarters and offices of the department's Superintendent of Supplies. Behind these rooms

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4402-642: The south, and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) on the north and east. The newer term RAMBO , an acronym for Right Around The Manhattan Bridge Overpass is sometimes applied to the area, comparing it to DUMBO . The neighborhood was connected to Vinegar Hill until the 1950s, when construction of the BQE effectively isolated it from surrounding areas. Downtown Brooklyn is served by two ZIP Codes : 11201 north of DeKalb Avenue and 11217 south of DeKalb Avenue. The United States Postal Service operates

4473-443: The windows have plain sandstone sills. A recessed arch is on the left side of the building, high in the tower; this arch was intended to contain a clock face. The side elevations of the facade are clad in plain brick. Both the main building and the watchtower contain red-tiled pyramidal roofs trimmed with copper. There is a dormer window in the main building's roof at the sixth story. The main building and watchtower are separated by

4544-400: The windows is a sash window with a horizontal transom , which separates a smaller pane above and a larger pane below. The two bays on the right side comprise the main building and originally included one wide window on each of the second through fourth floors. The rightmost bays are flanked by pilasters , which are made of Pompeian brick and have a trefoil cross-section. In all three bays,

4615-419: Was a small court with a trial room and a jury room, which heard cases against firefighters who had violated regulations. The fourth floor was intended for training firefighters. The fifth floor was given over to the telegraph alarm system, battery rooms, storage rooms, and the offices of the telegraph superintendent's team. The front portion of the watchtower contained the telegraph superintendent's office, while

4686-461: Was completed on December 10, 2010. It features an underground corridor on Willoughby Street connecting both stations, which includes new escalator and elevator access to Lawrence Street. The Long Island Rail Road stops at the Atlantic Terminal , located at the intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues. Public schools are operated by the New York City Department of Education . In 2021

4757-495: Was given $ 400,000 to renovate the Jay Street firehouse. The project was announced in 2010 but was postponed several times because of objections from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development . Nomad Architecture was hired to renovate the building. PACC bought the building in 2013 for a nominal fee of $ 1, and work began that August. At the time, twelve of the building's residents had lived there for two decades. The building suffered from rat infestations and had

4828-434: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Historically, Downtown Brooklyn was primarily a commercial and civic center, with relatively little residential development. Housing included a few apartment buildings on Livingston Street, and seven 15-story buildings that make up the over 1,000 unit Concord Village co-op development on Adams Street, at the borders of both Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo . Since

4899-515: Was made a New York City landmark in 1966, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The building was designed by Frank Freeman , who frequently designed structures in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The firehouse consists of a five-story main building with a basement, as well as an adjacent seven-story watchtower that rises 126 feet (38 m). Both structures are rectangular in plan. The entire structure has

4970-455: Was only willing to provide $ 80,000 for the construction of the fire headquarters. The city's Commission on Small Sites passed a resolution in January 1891, authorizing Brooklyn fire commissioner John Ennis to host an architectural design competition for a five-story structure costing up to $ 100,000. Ennis invited several local architects in February 1891 to submit designs for the building. Two of

5041-473: Was retained as a firehouse by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) until the 1970s, serving as the home of various units including Ladder 110 and 118, Engine 207, and from 1947 to 1971, Battalion 31. FDNY's Rescue 2 unit, which saved members of other units during severe emergencies, occupied the building from 1929 to 1946. During the 1930s, it also served as the headquarters of Searchlight 2,

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