Nowhere in Brooklyn will you find the size and scale that this rarely found decommissioned firehouse offers. No. 124 is the perfect blank canvas for the next owner to create one of New York's most unique homes. With a fascinating history dating back to 1895, No. 124 DeKalb was originally built as a water tower and then converted into a firehouse in 1903. A memento of its past is etched into the façade of the building as "Engine 256." At some point, likely in the 1940's, the cellar was fortified as a bomb shelter. The building remained in service to the public until 1974, when Engine No. 256 was disbanded due to budget cuts. For 22 years, the building was the live/work space for the production studio 40 Acres and a Mule of celebrated filmmaker, Spike Lee. Do the Right Thing, Malcom X, Jungle Fever and Inside Man were amongst the films produced in the historically rich building. In the mid 1980s, the entire firehouse was converted into 2 spacious duplex-lofts. The current owner occupies the entire 5,121 sq. ft. (approx. 5,775 sq. ft., including the 2 mezzanines) though the property is designated as a legal 2-family. This house is 25 ft. wide, and features wrought iron gates, a multi-car garage, barrel vaulted ceilings, exposed brick, art deco touches, and etched glass. Interiors are brightened by expansive windows and enhanced by airy ceilings that soar up to as almost 15 ft. Additionally, there's a spacious 1,700+ sq. ft. finished cellar, and over 1,500+ sq. ft. of private outdoor space overlooking Fort Greene Park. The exceptional central location is just blocks from Brooklyn's best attractions, such as: Barclays Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, City Point BKLYN, and Atlantic Terminal Mall. For creative minds, this relic of New York history provides the opportunity to make your own dream home. Historical bullet points for No. 124 Dekalb Avenue: Originally built as a water tower on May 27, 1895. Relabeled to be water tower 1, FDNY on Jan 28, 1898. Disbanded to be water tower on July 19, 1903. Originally a firehouse for Fire Engine Company 156 on July 19, 1903. Changed to house Fire Engine Company 256 on January 1, 1913. Part of a public sale by the Collector of City Revenue, Department of Finance, there was a public sale on April 4, 1912. Fire Engine Company 256 officially disbanded firehouse on December 16, 1974.
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