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From Firehouse to Future: Peeling Back the Layers of Brunswick’s Central Fire Station

August 11, 2025

Contributed by Mike Lyne, Developers Collaborative


Historic rehabs are never just about bricks and mortar. They’re about time. With every layer peeled back, we uncover stories, design decisions, and even forgotten craftsmanship that shaped the building long before its next chapter was imagined.


That’s exactly what’s been happening over the past several weeks at Brunswick’s Central Fire Station (CFS). To breathe new life into this iconic structure, we first had to strip it down to its bones. The former sleeping quarters, dispatch area, and second-floor offices have now been gutted to the studs, revealing soaring 13-foot ceilings that will become a defining feature of the new apartments. It’s a striking transformation. The dedicated crews who once worked here might barely recognize it, even as the soul of the building remains.



BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO: Get a first look inside the transformation of Brunswick’s Central Fire Station.

While driving home from the office last week, I happened to catch a view of St. Peter’s Church on Washington Avenue in Portland. Its unique architecture caught the late summer light just right, and I snapped a quick photo. That moment sparked a realization: the very same architect who designed St. Peter’s also designed the Central Fire Station.


Edward Leander Higgins was a prominent Portland architect in the early 20th century. Best known for his ecclesiastical work with the Episcopal Diocese across Maine, Higgins also left his mark on the commercial and civic architecture of the region. Alongside his partner George Burnham, a name familiar to anyone who studies Maine architecture, the two were responsible for several iconic structures, including the B&M Baked Bean Plant in Portland, designed in 1919.



St. Peter's Church, Washington Ave., Portland, Maine
St. Peter’s Church on Washington Avenue in Portland, designed by Edward Leander Higgins, the same architect behind Brunswick’s Central Fire Station. PHOTO CREDIT // MIKE LYNE

As we work to give the Central Fire Station its next purpose, we’re not just renovating, we’re continuing a legacy. And like any good story, it all starts with peeling back the layers to let the future take root.


Check back often for updates, construction photos, and behind-the-scenes looks at our progress here: https://www.developerscollaborative.com/news-blog/categories/central-fire-station




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