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This $1.35 Million Converted Firehouse Is Incredible (And Has 2 Beer Taps)

By Ariel Cheung | July 12, 2016 6:46am
 A renovated firehouse at 3921 N. Ravenswood Ave. is on the real estate market.
Ravenswood Firehouse Home For Sale In Lakeview
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LAKEVIEW — There's something undeniably cool about living in a firehouse, but it's pretty uncommon in Chicago.

The 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.

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, she said.

"It's once in a lifetime — I've been selling for 30 years, and I've never sold a firehouse," Topp said.

The process to acquire a city-owned firehouse is cumbersome, with potential buyers fronting $10,000 to $15,000 in a non-refundable deposit just to bid, Topp said. Buyers also have to submit plans in advance.

The firehouse at 3921 N. Ravenswood Ave. is a little different in that it housed a private 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.

A 1930 photo of the insurance patrol outside the firehouse at 3921 N. Ravenswood Ave. [Provided/KoenigRubloff Realty Group]

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."

The insurance patrol left Ravenswood Avenue in 1933. Eventually, the firehouse became a home, getting attention in a 1994 Chicago Tribune profile on similar properties.

"What's it like to live in a fire station? It's every little boy's dream," former owner Tom Mapp told the newspaper.

Little said then that there were about 30 old firehouses still in Chicago built in the 1920s or earlier. Some in Rogers Park, Edgewater and Wicker Park have sold in recent years, typically as single-family homes.

Others have more unique uses; the Chicago Firehouse Restaurant opened in the South Loop neighborhood in 2000 before it — ironically — burned down in a fire in 2014.

The two-story Ravenswood home has changed hands since Mapp's ownership. He and wife Jane Cooperman 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.

With so many features designed to suit their needs, it was a difficult decision for the owners to put the firehouse up for sale, Topp said.

"It has taken them a good 10 years to make that decision, and they are a bit remorseful leaving," Topp said. After decades of commuting to their business in the western suburbs, the couple has decided to uproot at last.

Of course, not everyone can foot the bill for a $1.35 million home. For those who still want to take a look at the property, there will be a pop-up yoga session from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. Friday. Tickets for the one-hour vinyasa flow class are $30 and can be purchased here.

Check out more photos of the property:

The original firehouse door at 3921 N. Ravenswood Ave. remains in tact after decades of renovations. [Provided/KoenigRubloff Realty Group]

A renovated firehouse, 3921 N. Ravenswood Ave., is filled with luxurious touches like a temperature-controlled wine cellar just past the living room. [Provided/KoenigRubloff Realty Group]

The upper floor family room has a custom-built wood-burning fireplace. [Provided/KoenigRubloff Realty Group]

The firehouse includes a newly built kitchen on the upper floor. [Provided/KoenigRubloff Realty Group]

A patio located off the kitchen is surrounded by trees and other nearby homes. [Provided/KoenigRubloff Realty Group]

The master bedroom has a walk-in closet and full bathroom. [Provided/KoenigRubloff Realty Group]

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