Brooklyn Fire Headquarters

Brooklyn Fire Headquarters is a red granite fire station in downtown Brooklyn featuring five main stories and a seven-story watchtower that rises prominently above Jay Street near Willoughby Street. The structure showcases Richardsonian Romanesque design with decorative stonework and arched openings throughout its exterior.

Frank Freeman designed this building in 1892 as headquarters for the Brooklyn Fire Department in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. When Brooklyn merged with New York City in 1898, the fire station's role changed as the city consolidated its fire services.

The building marks the shift from volunteer to paid firefighting in Brooklyn as the city modernized during the late 1800s. Its grand design reflects how important the fire department was to the community at that time.

The building is no longer an active fire station and is not open to the public, having been converted to apartments since the 1970s. You can view the exterior and decorative stonework from the street to appreciate the scale and architectural details of this landmark.

The original elevator from the 1890s remained working into the 2010s, showing how well late 1800s engineering held up over time. This machinery is a quiet reminder of the quality and durability built into these systems when the building was new.

Location: Brooklyn

Architects: Frank Freeman

Architectural style: Richardsonian Romanesque

Elevators: 1

Address: 365-367 Jay Street

GPS coordinates: 40.69278,-73.98694

Latest update: December 8, 2025 21:08