Age, the old saying goes, is just a number, then a fire station in New York considered a senior citizen among buildings shows that it can an active and functional department lifestyle without sacrificing its rich architectural history and beauty even after nearly 125 years in service.
Buffalo Fire Department's Engine 28 calls the station on East Lovejoy Street home, WKBW-TV reports. Built in 1897 and designed by architect Frederick Moore, the Queen Anne-style firehouse isn't the city's oldest station, but it has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 2001.
And the department isn't shy about displaying the station's history. Although the stalls that housed the horses needed to pull long-out-of-use fire engines are gone, the stall doors remain as a reminder of that bygone era.
"These horses would get excited, so these are hoof marks …(where) they hit the door and try to get the door open," firefighter James Rice, who has a degree in architecture, told WKBW.
Turnout gear and other modern equipment, however, is at the ready for crews to don and use when calls come in and history gives way to serving the Buffalo community and its residents. And sometimes the past and present intersect—the station still has a functional pole between floors that firefighters continue to use—and firefighters are able to provide a future for people going through dire emergencies.
"This (station) was built in Buffalo's industrial era. They were very proud of their fire service and fire departments," Rice said.
