Credit: FDNY

A 19th-century warehouse in Red Hook that has been a hub for artists for decades was engulfed in a five-alarm fire last week. Located at 481 Van Brunt Street, the four-story wood-framed warehouse contained dozens of studios and design businesses, as well as the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC). According to the New York Times , the fire broke out shortly before midnight on Wednesday and escalated quickly, drawing more than 250 firefighters who battled the flames into the night.

The four-story Beard and Robinson Stores, taking up 421-499 Van Brunt Street, were built in the 1860s and 70s to accommodate goods bound for the New York Harbor via the Great Lakes and Erie Canal.

The warehouse was central to Red Hook’s artistic community, which took root in the 1990s

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