- November 26th, 2020, 7:50 pm#4942668
One of the cool things about the New York City Department of Records is they'll upload some pretty neat content from their archives of the city's architecture. One such item that they posted last March is an incredible piece of history of our favourite New York Firehouse: Hook & Ladder №8:
In 1914, when Varick Street was being widened, the FDNY considered demolishing the 11-year old engine house and moving to a new site. The cost of the parcel of land was $110,000, and the cost of demolition of the existing building would've been an additional $25,000. Due to the high costs, the FDNY instead chopped the building in half, reducing the total cost of the project to $20,000.
Like major renovation projects today, a fresh set of plans had to be drawn up, and the Department of Records showcased the sheet featuring the front/rear elevations in a tweet highlighting the LEGO Firehouse set, released six years prior.
Although the limestone gateway for the alley has long-since vanished, and the apparatus bay doors are modern reproductions, a number of other period features remain, including the swinging crane, visible on the ground floor of the rear elevation.
In 1914, when Varick Street was being widened, the FDNY considered demolishing the 11-year old engine house and moving to a new site. The cost of the parcel of land was $110,000, and the cost of demolition of the existing building would've been an additional $25,000. Due to the high costs, the FDNY instead chopped the building in half, reducing the total cost of the project to $20,000.
Like major renovation projects today, a fresh set of plans had to be drawn up, and the Department of Records showcased the sheet featuring the front/rear elevations in a tweet highlighting the LEGO Firehouse set, released six years prior.
Although the limestone gateway for the alley has long-since vanished, and the apparatus bay doors are modern reproductions, a number of other period features remain, including the swinging crane, visible on the ground floor of the rear elevation.