RAVENSWOOD — For a cool $1.1 million, you could own a genuine Chicago firehouse.
The building, at 3921 N. Ravenswood Ave., dates back to 1907 and has been completely renovated as a 4,500-square-foot, 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom home.
Sorry, you'll have to take the stairs, not a pole, from the second floor to the first, but the original firehouse doors remain in place, opening to the street for dramatic effect.
Additional amenities include a two-keg draft system. And what classier way to douse the occasional kitchen grease fire than with sparkling water from the tap.
According to Curbed Chicago, the home's asking price has dropped $250,000 since it was first listed in June.
The firehouse 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.
Patrols also did maintenance work on sprinklers, roofs and doors to protect them.
There are a couple dozen 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.
[Redfin]
[Redfin]
[Redfin]
A 1930 photo of the fire patrol outside the fire station.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here.