Seattle’s story can be told as a series of firsts. Developments that were groundbreaking then but, because of our city’s rapid-fire rate of change, feel quotidian decades later. The year 1904 brought Seattle's first steel-framed skyscraper; 1971, its first Starbucks. And, in 1909, Seattle debuted its first all-brick firehouse, home to its very first motor-driven fire engines, per Historic Seattle.

Like so many of those Seattle trailblazers, Fire Station No. 25 looks a little different than it did back then. The arched windows and doors characteristic of the original building remain; the hayloft, built to accommodate horse-drawn equipment before the Seattle Fire Department transitioned to motor vehicles, does not.

After the city decommissioned the station in 1970, a real estate developer constrained by a protective easement transformed the space into condos—12 in total today, and according to the listing agent each one is different from the next.

This particular unit flaunts its unusual history through an eclectic mix of styles and architectural eras. Parquet floors from the original late-1970s renovation paired with blocky, Craftsman-esque wood features and slab-marble bathrooms give the condo a warm, sturdy feel.

The primary bedroom features a sizable walk-in closet and an en suite bathroom with a corner tub; the secondary bedroom, a unique raised office nook complete with coiled fire hose and referential brick floors. Industrial-inspired shelving, exposed pipes, and a bright-red front door also hint at the building’s origins.

Located on the border of First Hill and Capitol Hill, the surrounding neighborhood offers modern conveniences that reflect just how much the city has changed throughout the fire station’s lifetime. Amazon-owned Whole Foods lets shoppers pay with their palm a couple blocks down the street. A few minutes’ walk away, Starbucks’ Seattle Roastery commemorates local history just nine blocks from where it all began.

This place has seen it all.

Listing Fast Facts

1406 Harvard Avenue #8, Seattle, WA 98122
Size: 1,175 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
List Price: $875,000
List Date: 1/7/2025
Listing Agent: Aaron De Nunzio, Windermere Real Estate Midtown