Firehouse, Engine Company 31
Why it's listed
Engine Company 31's firehouse at 87 Lafayette Street in Manhattan dates from 1895 and was designed by the firm of Napoleon Le Brun & Sons. It rises three and one-half stories, with a three-bay west facade, a five-bay south facade and a tower at their corner. The first floor and tower are ashlar stone, the second floor is Roman brick, and a high slate hipped roof carries a stone balustrade, iron crestings and dormers. Shells, dolphins and floral wreaths decorate the facades. The building belongs to a group of firehouses the City of New York commissioned from architects around 1900, including Le Brun and Ernest Flagg. Its scale, detail and workmanship resemble the mansions then going up along Fifth Avenue, which shows the pride of the fire service and its standing in city government. It remains a working firehouse, notable for standing in a mostly commercial neighborhood of fairly recent, unremarkable buildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the firehouse is unusual because its scale, detail and workmanship resemble the private mansions then being built along Fifth Avenue. It is one of a group of firehouses the City commissioned from architects around the turn of the century. The care given to its appearance reflects the pride of the fire-fighting profession and the department's role in City government.
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 72000870, listed January 20, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 87 Lafayette St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | January 20, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000870 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1895 |
| Architect / builder | Napoleon Le Brun & Sons |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition, unaltered, on its original site, and still functioning as a working fire house. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.71728, -74.00104 (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.
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 72000870.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5451867
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.