Judge Rules Beacon Owns Disputed Station

Legal Dispute Over Ownership of Historic Fire Station Resolved

A recent court ruling has settled a long-standing legal dispute over the ownership of the decommissioned Beacon Engine Co. fire station located at 57 East Main St. in Beacon, New York. On July 25, Judge Maria Rosa issued a decision stating that the City of Beacon is the sole owner of the historic building.

The case involved four requests from retired members of the volunteer fire company, who had used the station as their headquarters for 136 years. These included an appeal to determine the rightful owner of the facility. The volunteers argued that they had a claim based on the most recent operation and maintenance agreement between the city and the company, which was signed in 2019. This agreement outlined the city’s responsibility to cover insurance, utilities, and maintenance costs while acknowledging that the fire company owned part of the structure.

According to historical records, the 1889 building, which spans 4,688 square feet, was believed to be partially owned by the Beacon Engine Co., with the city owning the engine bay added in 1924. However, after the City Council voted to close the station in February 2020, officials conducted a title search in 2023 that suggested the city had full ownership of the site. The volunteers disputed this, citing issues with "aged, handwritten deeds" and "incomplete searches."

The firefighters also claimed that the city abandoned the operation and maintenance agreement in November 2020. While the mayor stated that the city notified the volunteers about terminating the agreement in February 2021, it allowed them to continue using the building until the new central station opened last fall. In January 2025, city officials sent a notice to the retired firefighters requiring them to vacate the station by March 31. The volunteers argued that this eviction lacked due process.

Judge Rosa had previously denied an injunction request from the firefighters, noting that they had provided no evidence of ownership. A week later, the volunteers filed a complaint seeking a judgment on whether the city or the fire company owned the property. They submitted an amended complaint in May, claiming a potential ownership interest based on language in two deeds that “exempts and reserves the lot occupied by the Old Engine House.” However, no deeds were presented to the court.

City attorneys quickly responded with a motion to dismiss, accompanied by multiple documents and testimony from Paul Conrad, president of Real Property Abstract & Title Services. Conrad argued that the firefighters had misinterpreted the deeds and that a dozen documents dating back to 1860 confirmed the city's ownership. He explained that the fire company once owned a portion of the property but had conveyed it to the city over a century ago. According to him, the fire company had not held any ownership interest since 1920.

In her ruling, Judge Rosa noted that Conrad had provided detailed evidence of the chain of title. She emphasized that the volunteers failed to assert clear ownership and instead relied on the 2019 agreement as proof of a “potential ownership interest.” She also dismissed claims of adverse possession, stating that the volunteers did not prove that their use of the station was under a claim of right. Additionally, she rejected allegations that the city benefited unfairly from the volunteers’ occupancy or that the eviction was wrongful.

Mayor Lee Kyriacou expressed relief following the decision, stating that the community could now move forward. He thanked the volunteers for their service to the city. Meanwhile, the Beacon Engine firehouse remains on the market. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, which limits what a private buyer can do with the property.

A separate deal involving another decommissioned fire station, Mase Hook & Ladder at 425 Main St., is also underway. A Westchester County buyer signed an agreement on June 24 to purchase the site, with the transaction expected to close by the end of August.