Letters on the facade of this low brick structure spell out "High-Pressure Fire Service: Main Pumping Station." This building was constructed in 1902 as part of New York's High-Pressure Fire Service. At this time, fire hydrants were either high or low pressure. Low-pressure pumps could churn out water at 30 pounds of pressure, though larger flames required a more powerful system. These hydrants called, "H.P. hydrants" were fed by pumping stations like these, and could unleash up to 125 pounds of pressure. When a call for a fire came in that would require the H.P. system, the fire alarm headquarters would notify both the pumping station, who would turn on the pumps to feed nearby hydrants and firehouses. In the firehouse, a gong would signify the use of H.P. hydrants. If a fire needed H.P. hydrants mid-fight, the chief officer would be able to "either radio in a request or send it...by Morse code from the firebox on the scene," according to George Robinson in the F.Y.I. column of the New York Times. Once the engineer in charge of the station was signaled to turn on the pumps, high-pressure water would be fed to the hydrants in roughly one minute. As technology progressed and pumper trucks were invented, these stations were put out of use. The High-Pressure Fire Service became obsolete by 1954. The facility has since been converted into a series of luxury condos called "Pumphouse Mews," a fitting name for the former station.