Just listed: A condo in an old Jamaica Plain firehouse for $319,000
The unit offers one bedroom, one bath, nearly 400 square feet of living space, and a lot of historical charm.
More than a century ago, the city celebrated the opening of a new fire station at 16 Walk Hill St. in Jamaica Plain, which housed Boston’s first-ever motorized fire apparatus, according to the Boston Fire Historical Society.
Today, that fire station still stands, but the motorized firetruck, as well as the horse-pulled ones, have since made way for 13 condos — one of which is for sale.
Listed at $319,000, Unit 2 features one bedroom, one bathroom, and nearly 400 square feet of space. “I think what’s really cool to me is you’re actually living in history in some ways,” owner Tim Williams said.
The arched window setup in the kitchen is where one of the old fire station doors was, according to Williams and photos from the fire historical society.
During the several years he’s lived in the condo, Williams has added his own touches, including open shelving in the kitchen made from salvaged chestnut boards. The kitchen island is a repurposed antique piece, he said.
Williams is selling the condo himself with assistance from Darin Thompson at Stuart St. James Inc.
A century ago, the fire station was new, and the motorized fire engine, or “auto-chemical,” as it was referred to at the time, had just come from Springfield with a price tag of $6,450, according to an article The Boston Globe published on July 29, 1910.
“The new fire station is of brick, 2 ½ stories high and is regarded as one of the model fire stations of the country,” the article said. The second floor had enough room for three “officers” with dormitories and a lounge, plus showers. The fire station cost $25,000.
In 1921, Engine Company 53 replaced Chemical 13, the first motorized engine, according to the fire historical society. The station closed on June 11, 1959.
See more photos of the home below:
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