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No cause for alarm if you love firehouses.
As appeared in NJ Star Ledger Warren County Sunday, January 27, 2008.
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Blairstown, NJ - Many boys dream of growing up to become a fireman.
Dirk Herrmann of Blairstown took that common boyhood dream a few steps further, buying a firehouse for his place of work.
Herrmann, president of Murray, a Web design and development company just off Route 94 in Blairstown, recalled how disappointed a Calvin Klein marketing vice president from New York City was after visiting Murray's bland previous office across from the local elementary school.
Expecting to see something showcasing western New Jersey's rural charm, the vice president instead saw a nondescript building with cubicles.
Now, visitors see a firehouse bell tower atop a completely renovated red building.
Inside the new Murray building -- formerly the 1890 Blairstown Hose Company No. 1 -- visitors now see fire hook, call box and oxygen tank. They see a Fire Fighter Lane sign and a 1939 photo of a firetruck and the hose company's mascot, Buddy the dog.
Now, clients traveling in from urban areas see a place with rural character.
"They love it," said Herrmann, who is in the building with partners Alice Frable and Wendy Flanagan and nine other employees.
"People can't wait to come on out and hang out at the firehouse."
On Saturday, the company hits its one-year anniversary being in the former firehouse across from Footbridge Park.
After being decommissioned for use as a firehouse shortly after World War II, it was used as a surveyor's office and an apartment.
With Murray's lease in the previous building set to expire, Herrmann started looking for a business location that fit in with the culture of the town.
"I was trying to come up with a place that had some rural character," he said.
But the firehouse property was barely bigger than the structure itself, with a next-door neighbor owning the wrap-around property from the building to the edge of Route 94.
And without the neighbor agreeing to sell the property, a business wouldn't have enough room to put in parking or upgrade the septic system.
But the neighbor moved a couple years ago, and the new neighbor agreed to sell part of the property to Murray.
Now the former firehouse is alive with activity again.
Where there once were firemen, there are Internet production workers. Where there once was a garage that housed a horse and wagon, there is a conference room.
"Everybody asks, 'Where's the fire pole?'" Herrmann noted.
But the pole was removed years ago when the building was partially converted into an apartment.
The business added four parking spots and spent $50,000 to put in an underground water treatment plant.
Contractor Shawn Baldwin helped make the historic building structurally sound.
Herrmann said that once again, "It's a showpiece for the town."
Mike Frassinelli may be reached at mfrassinelli@starledger.com or (908) 475-1218. For full article, please visit nj.com
About Murray.
Murray conceives and creates digital business communications that improve sales performance, promote consistent marketing and maximize employee efficiency. For over 30 years, the Murray client roster has been a who’s who of Fortune-level corporations. And, that tradition of excellence continues. Today’s active accounts include ADP, ADT, Johnson & Johnson, Verizon Wireless and Wyndham Hotel Group.
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| Murray. |
| Contact: | Wendy Flanagan |
| Phone: | 908-362-8174 x111 |
| Email: | Contact Murray |
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© 2009 Murray. All rights Reserved |
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