The
Beaux Arts firehouse was completed in 1909, and was designed by
Philadelphia architect, Howard E. Constable, (known for his design of the Shamokin Station of the
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad) to house the Hook and Ladder Company 40. On August 23, 1908, the
New York Tribune mentioned the planned firehouse, estimating the cost to be around $40,000 and describing a façade of "ornamental limestone lighted by large mullion bays.” The building is a small reflection of the
City Beautiful movement to promote high standards of civic life. Faison purchased the abandoned firehouse on Hancock Place (one block south of
125th Street) in 1999 and renovated it in several stages. In its present configuration, the building features a 350-seat auditorium, a café, dance and rehearsal space, and a recording studio. The theater is notable for a unique diagonal aisle. Since 2007, the theater's spaces have hosted music, theater, dance and art exhibitions. The theater has presented performances by the
Center for Contemporary Opera and is a regular venue for Harlem Opera Theater. In 2018 the building was put on the market. In 2026, the
National Action Network, a civil-rights organization founded by the
Rev. Al Sharpton, purchased the building and plans to rename it the "House of Justice Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Workshop," which will house the new NAN headquarters. ==References==