Bronx E64 / L47...Brooklyn E220 / L122

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Jan 1, 2009
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I have noticed a number of firehouses that are actually two separate buildings side by side. How did these come to be? Were they separate engine / ladder companies from the volunteer days? Can anyone give me a little history behind them?

Thanks,
RM4
 
Y

YFDFireBuff.

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They used to all be seperated companies from the volly days.
  :-\
As per my F.H.N.Y book (Firehouse New York)
 
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 Not all of these were volunteer houses but all originally started out as one firehouse, usually for an engine and then a ladder company was organized next door and a new firehouse was built. Examples of these are: E45/L58 @925-927 E. Tremont Ave. (1932/1974), Rescue 3's present quarters @ 451/453 E. 176th St. which was once E46/L27 (1895/1903), E64/L47 @ 1214/1220 Castle Hill Ave. (1908/1913), E73/L42 @ 655/661 Prospect Ave. (1900/1913), and E220/L122 @ 530/532-11th St. (1882/1907). There are also two former ladder company firehouses that were built directly behind engine houses with entrances & driveways on a different street; These ladder firehouses were later closed and the ladder companies moved into the engine houses directly behind them. They are E80 @ 503 W.139th St. and L23 @ 504 W.140th St. (from 1898 to 1918)[L23 was organized in 1898 and E80 in 1905], and E68 @ 1080 Ogden Ave. & L49 @ 1079 Nelson Ave. (from 1913 to 1947).  
 
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Not totally sure, and I don't have the dates for verification, but I believe Eng 280/Lad 132 were separate,adjoining buildings and each company maintained house watch.  Also might be true for Eng281/Lad147.  That was way in the past and both have common watch desks now.
 
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johnd248 said:
Not totally sure, and I don't have the dates for verification, but I believe Eng 280/Lad 132 were separate,adjoining buildings and each company maintained house watch.  Also might be true for Eng281/Lad147.  That was way in the past and both have common watch desks now.
The firehouses you mention were built in 1913 and between 1908 to 1925, most engine/ladder houses were built with a wall between the engine and ladder and two housewatch desks, some even twin walk-in doors to the individual watch desks. Many have been renovated since. E84/L34, E88/L38, E90/L41, E91/E91-2/L43 (3-bays), E92/L44, E93/E93-2/L45 (3 bays), E94/L48, E95/L36, E153/L77, E259/L128, E264/E328/L134 (originally E264 had 2 sections), E270/L125 (L125 moved to E315 in 1953), E271/L124, E279/L131, E280/L132, E281/L147, E282/L148, E287/L136 & E291/L140. One firehouse that was closed years ago was the 3 bay Jamaica "Big House" built in 1925 @ 89-56 162nd St. it housed E275/298/299/L127/BC50 where I remember reading that each engine and the ladder company had their own housewatch desks. The 3 bays facing from the street were: A. E298/E299  B. L127   C. E275/BC50       
 
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Another house with the wall and two house watches is E263/TL117.  The house watches have since been combined.
 
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