On a sunny day in the heart of New Bedford, three college students tried filming a video for class.
“Hi, I’m Jai, ” said sophomore Jai Edward Blyden.
“I’m Raeesah,” said senior Raeesah Amegankpoe.
“I’m Trey,” said senior Trey Turner.
Then in unison: “And we are team –,“ they began, but broke into laughter before they could finish.
“I just totally blanked,” Turner said, smiling.
Eve Zuckoff
“You can see the beautiful flower floral motifs there,” Professor Nea Maloo said. “Can you imagine a firehouse like this? Nowadays firehouses are not that dressed up. [But] because it was a part of the community, they dressed it as their own.”
These three are among the dozen architecture students who traveled 450 miles from Howard University in Washington D.C. to New Bedford to explore how they could breathe new life into the Hillman Street Firehouse.
They’re trying to learn what it would take to restore the building’s exterior, reusing everything they can, and redesign its interior, with a focus on modern, affordable apartments.
They’re participating in a program called the Envision Resilience Challenge, which brings together community members, city planners, and college students in climate vulnerable areas.
“Let me try this one more time,” Bylden said. After the group successfully introduced themselves, he prepared for a solo.
“Built in 1892, the Hillman [Street] Firehouse is a representation of New Bedford’s best and bravest men who saved countless lives and fought ferocious fires to keep the town safe and secure,” Bylden said to the camera.
The red brick building – a Romanesque Revival – has boarded up windows, a crumbling facade, and perimeter fence. It’s been vacant for almost 30 years. But the Howard University students see hints of the firehouse’s former glory.
They point up at floral motifs in the brick, and a small tower on the back corner that makes the building look like a castle.
Eve Zuckoff
The Howard team poses in front of the firehouse.
“It has a