Excerpts from dnainfo.com:
There’s something undeniably cool about living in a firehouse, but it’s pretty uncommon in Chicago.
A spacious 1907 firehouse just listed for sale in Lakeview is a rare find in the city — only three converted firehouses have sold in the past five years, said realtor Laura Topp who said the building’s unique history combined with recent remodeling that highlights the home’s spacious ceilings and roomy rooms makes it well worth the $1,350,000 price tag.
The firehouse at 3921 N. Ravenswood Ave. is a little different in that it housed the fire insurance patrol, according to the Fire Museum of Greater Chicago. From 1871 to 1959, fire insurance companies operated patrols that salvaged furniture, machinery, and other items in burning buildings. Patrols also did maintenance work on sprinklers, roofs and doors to protect them.
“Patrol units responded to fires with lights and sirens along with regular fire units and, in an emergency, would man a hose line, raise ladders or render first aid to fire victims,” wrote museum director Ken Little in 2006. “This service was performed at no charge, and whether the occupants had fire insurance or not.”
Little said then that there were about 30 old firehouses still in Chicago built in the 1920s or earlier.
The insurance patrol left Ravenswood Avenue in 1933 and eventually, the firehouse became a home. The two-story home has changed hands. One owner did significant remodeling over their 20 years in the firehouse, creating a woodshop, artist studio, wine cellar and basketball court. They put it up for sale for $410,000 in 1994.
The current owners have expanded on the luxurious feeling of the open rooms, with heated floors on the ground level, a cedar coat closet and a green house room. Upstairs, the kitchen was fully remodeled last year, complete with a sparkling water faucet and custom-built quarter-sawn oak cabinetry. As developers of a sixth-barrel keg, the owners installed a two-head draft system with mini refrigerators for two sixth-barrel kegs.
thanks Dan
