Nineteenth-century on the exterior, 21st century on the interior, this 1864 Manhattan firehouse has never looked this liveable. The former ‘Red Rover’ house, serving Howard Engine Company No 34, has undergone several improvements since being decommissioned in the 1970s, crucially to restore its original ornamental facade and turn it into a single-family home. Then, the interiors were transformed by JG Neukomm Architecture in 2012.

Located on Morton Street, between Hudson and Greenwich Streets, the 6,850 sq ft property has assets unheard of for a Greenwich Village townhouse, including a four-car garage, private elevator and 25 ft of street frontage.

A staircase in the foyer leads to the main living space — an atrium-style great room with a 26-ft-high ceiling and skylight. Brick walls and windows surround the chef’s kitchen and wood-burning fireplace, and French doors open onto a landscaped 1,000 sq ft south-facing garden with space for living, dining and grilling.

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Photography: Yale Wagner for Sotheby’s International Realty

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The original firehouse staircase links this level with a media room, powder room and garage, then descends further to an entertainment space set up as a jazz club, with a small office and adjacent wine cellar. With three bedrooms on the upper floor, the house is serviced by three full bathrooms and three powder rooms.

The home is listed with Jeremy Stein and Kat Trappe of Sotheby’s International Realty – Downtown Manhattan Brokerage for $21m—a price tag that reflects its sheer size and unusual multi-use zoning, which allows for a live-work set-up.

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