Lady Washington Hose Company
Why it's listed
Built in 1908 at 20 Academy Street in Poughkeepsie, this three-story brick fire house served the Lady Washington Hose Company, which had been reorganized in 1863 from the Neptune Engine Company after new engines for other companies ended Neptune's operations. Percival M. Lloyd designed the building, and the O'Donnell Construction Company, a local firm, carried out the construction. The facade combines yellow brick, a castellated and corbeled tower with Gothic character, a heavily overhanging tile roof on carved rafters in the "Japanese" manner, and a hanging second-story bay. A stone belt course bears the inscription "1863 Lady Washington. No 3. 1908." Inside, the horse trough, tiled floors and walls, and brass pole survive. Of the city's three hose companies active around 1900, only this house and the O.H. Booth Company house remain. The building is described as unique in Poughkeepsie and possibly in the Hudson Valley, and it has been preserved through reuse as library storage.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a distinctive eclectic-style fire house, unique in the city and possibly in the Hudson Valley. It combines a yellow brick facade, a castellated and corbeled Gothic-feeling tower, a boldly overhanging tile roof with carved rafters in the "Japanese" manner, and a hanging bay. It also retains an intact interior and is one of only two surviving early hose company houses in the city.
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 82001145, listed November 26, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 20 Academy St., Poughkeepsie |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | November 26, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001145 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect Percival M. Lloyd of Poughkeepsie; builder O'Donnell Construction Company, Poughkeepsie |
| Architectural style | Eclectic (with Gothic and "Japanese" influences) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition with no major alterations; reused as storage for the Library Council after serving as a fire house. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.70219, -73.92598 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 82001145.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6470589
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.