Coney Island Fire Station Pumping Station
Why it's listed
Coney Island's high-pressure water pumping station, at 2301 Neptune Avenue in Brooklyn, was built in 1938 to maintain steady water pressure for part of the neighborhood. Designed by Irwin S. Chanin, it is a one-story, elliptical building faced in limestone over a granite base, with continuous prismatic glass windows, nickel-silver grillwork and curving lines typical of Art Moderne. Inside, a gallery overlooks a central well fitted with tracks and beams for cranes that moved pumping units. Chanin was best known for tall apartment buildings on Central Park West, so this low, severe design marked a change in his work. The building was praised in its day as an alternative to classically styled municipal architecture and is described as one of the few municipally owned pumping stations in this style. At the time of listing it stood vacant and sealed after vandalism, and its sculpted horses had been placed in the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as an excellent and rare example of Art Moderne architecture, which was unusual for a municipal building at a time when most public buildings imitated classical models. It marks a shift in architect Irwin S. Chanin's work from large Art Deco skyscrapers to a low, functional design. It is also described as one of few municipally owned pumping stations built in this style.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 81000405, listed December 8, 1981. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2301 Neptune Ave., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Brooklyn |
| Listed | December 8, 1981 |
| Reference number | 81000405 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific date 1938) |
| Architect / builder | Irwin S. Chanin |
| Architectural style | Art Moderne (late Art Deco) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant, vandalized and sealed; metal letters were stolen, most windows broken, and the four pairs of horse sculptures were removed to the Brooklyn Museum of Art for security. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 40.57874, -73.99152 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 81000405.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5159598
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.