Hose 22 Firehouse Grill Dinner
Dine inside the restored 1916 firehouse, with original bunk rooms and firefighter memorabilia on display. The basement-level Downtime Pub is the most-reported paranormal location.
- Duration:
- 1.5 hr
Rochester's 1916 Hose Company No. 22 firehouse sat vacant for nearly half a century before reopening in 2008 as a restaurant; staff report camera-captured shadow figures and concentrated activity in the basement 'Downtime Pub.'
56 Stutson Street, Rochester, NY 14612
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Restaurant pricing for dinner and bar service.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Restored firehouse with ground-floor dining; basement pub via stairs.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1916 · Built 1916 as Hose Company No. 22 (Rochester Fire Department) · Retired from active service c. 1962 · Restored by Craig Ristuccia in 2007 · Opened as Hose 22 Firehouse Grill in 2008-2009 · Listed on the Haunted History Trail of New York State
The firehouse at 56 Stutson Street was built in 1916 as Hose Company No. 22 of the Rochester Fire Department. It served the Charlotte neighborhood on Rochester's lakeside north side and was considered, in local-history coverage, the 'crown jewel of Charlotte' during its active years.
The city retired the firehouse from active service around 1962. For the following 45 years, the building stood largely empty. The city occasionally leased it to organizations such as Rochester Helping Hands, and retired firefighters used the space to work on apparatus and reminisce. Per Haunted History Trail coverage, the building also temporarily sheltered homeless individuals and was stripped by vandals. A fire broke out in the vacant structure and severely damaged the floors, ceiling, and roof at the front of the building — scorch marks remain visible on second-floor brickwork as evidence of that incident.
In November 2007 local contractor Craig Ristuccia purchased the firehouse and began a substantial restoration. The original bunk rooms and lockers were preserved and now display donated firefighter paraphernalia. The Hose 22 Firehouse Grill opened in 2008-2009 as a multi-level restaurant with the basement 'Downtime Pub,' a main-level dining room, and an upstairs banquet space.
The restaurant has been featured on the Haunted History Trail of New York State, a tourism-board program that catalogs documented haunted sites across the state.
Sources
According to the Haunted History Trail of New York State, the original bunk rooms and lockers — now filled with donated firefighter memorabilia — are 'known to fill the firehouse with many spirits from those who are honored to be memorialized.' The basement Downtime Pub is described as 'home of the most paranormal activity across all three floors.'
OnlyInYourState's coverage and the venue's own marketing materials describe shadowy figures captured on security cameras, faucets turning on by themselves, snippets of music with no audible source, and an overall sense of presence in the rooms that preserved firefighter equipment. The activity is locally interpreted as the lingering attachment of former firefighters to their station rather than tied to any specific death on the premises.
The venue actively embraces its haunted reputation through tourism-board programming and hosts paranormal-themed events as part of the Haunted History Trail circuit.
Notable Entities
Dine inside the restored 1916 firehouse, with original bunk rooms and firefighter memorabilia on display. The basement-level Downtime Pub is the most-reported paranormal location.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Rochester, NY
The current building was constructed in 1856 by Irondequoit town supervisor Capt. Samuel Waldo Bradstreet VI and his wife Lavinia. The Bradstreet home remained a private residence until the 1930s, then served sequentially as apartments, restaurants, and bars (including Hallie's Steak House and The Reunion Inn). It is now Union Tavern, listed on the Haunted History Trail of New York State. Local tradition holds that the property was a stop on the Underground Railroad and later operated as a Prohibition-era speakeasy.
Saratoga Springs, NY
The site at 123 Maple Avenue has been occupied since 1773, when Dirck Schoughten built a crude log cabin overlooking High Rock Spring. Revolutionary intelligence agent Alexander Bryan purchased the property in 1787; his son John Bryan built the current stone house on the site of his father's tavern in 1825. The building served as a private residence and laundry before being restored as a restaurant in 1979.
Saratoga Springs, NY
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