New use for old Chicago firehouse « chicagoareafire.com

New use for old Chicago firehouse

Status Check: 1217-19 W. Gunnison

FLATS Firehouse at 1217-19 W. Gunnison

How cool would it be to live in a firehouse? This formerly rundown and long-vacant firehouse near Gunnison and Lawrence is just about complete. The exterior has been cleaned up drastically, with all new windows, doors and new lighting. A garage door style window has been installed where the old wooden door once was, allowing more light in.
The apartments aren’t yet listed on the Flats Chicago website, but keep checking. A quick reminder of what this space once looked like:

1217-19 W. Gunnison (former view via Google)

thanks Dan

Tags: Chicago sells old firehouse, firehouse, new use for old fire station, old Chicago firehouse, vacant Chicago firehouse

This entry was posted on December 5, 2015, 7:00 AM and is filed under Fire Department History. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

5 Comments

#1 by mike mc on December 7, 2015 - 9:20 PM

Thanks for the Milwaukee info and photos Crabby. Milwaukee is a fire buff’s dream when it comes to old firehouses, both in service and closed.

I’d also add Racine and Kenosha to that category. A ton of old history that you can still visually see in southeast Wisconsin.
#2 by Crabby Milton on December 7, 2015 - 6:05 AM

Here are some historic MFD stations. Some are still active.
http://legeros.com/history/milwaukee/
#3 by Crabby Milton on December 7, 2015 - 5:59 AM

Oh I didn’t know that. But still, it’s nice to see it being used instead of being an eyesore with people wanting it to be torn down. Not too far from my house, someone bought an old MFD station and converted it into a nice private home too. When MFD first closed it in the early 80’s, it almost immediately was sold and someone was using it to store old apparatus and vintage cars and it may have been sold a few times until some people bought it and converted it to it’s current use.
#4 by Dennis on December 6, 2015 - 2:31 PM

There is no more apparatus bay, that’s a garage style window.
#5 by Crabby Milton on December 6, 2015 - 12:34 PM

Either live there or store personal apparatus if you are fortunate enough to own some. Nice work and it’s nice to see an old firehouse put to good use in a second life.