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Note: This is the first of four articles highlighting one of the stops on the 2024 Manteo Preservation Trust Holiday Tour. Follow the other features leading up to the tour on December 7. 

There is a desire for redemption in the hearts of David Kaiser and Brenda Shore, the new owners of the historic Manteo Firehouse at 309 Budleigh.

From top to bottom, the restored home speaks to the couple’s desire to bring back to radiance that which time has tried to wither. The home will be all aglow and ready to welcome visitors to the Manteo Preservation Trust’s 17^th Holiday Tour on Saturday, December 7.

The Manteo Firehouse was constructed in 1941 under the New Deal agency Works Progress Administration.

Fire trucks and equipment were stored in the lower level beside, for a time, Town Hall. Town Hall relocated, the firehouse moved out in 1991, and the building was converted to a private residence.

When David and Brenda started looking for a new home to be closer to family, they were drawn to the firehouse because of its uniquely large garage area.

The plan was, “Find a garage, and a house will come with it,” Brenda said.

The couple collects and restores classic cars from a variety of eras. Though they’re mostly Chevy folks, David also owns a ’49 Kaiser-Fraser because, as a friend told him, “If you’ve got a car named after you, you should own it.”

When they moved from Houston, they stored their vehicles at friends’ garages throughout the country. After adding 1200 square feet to the garage (as well as 1200 square feet to the living area upstairs) and updating just about everything from plaster to HVAC to electric, they were finally ready to bring all their babies back to one place.

All their cars are drivable, though they tune them up and make restorations as needed. Their vehicles are not modified – they aim to have them look and perform as they did when they were driven off the lot.

“The whole idea is you take what was and you bring it back,” Brenda said.

They’ve managed a total restoration of the top and bottom of the house while not only preserving but actually enhancing the history of the beloved community building.

There are framed informational pictures throughout the garage, sharing photos and the history of the Manteo Firehouse through the years. The couple even traveled to Washington to the National Archives to find paperwork on the building. One print includes the names of all the known fire chiefs and firefighters who served in this location.

The exterior of firehouse today looks remarkably similar to the firehouse of 1941. And that’s not by accident.

The 1970s Tudor veneer was removed, the garage doors were replaced, the exterior was re-stuccoed, and of course the front door was painted red.

David and Brenda had the engraved sign, which had been hidden by prior owners, touched up and framed so it stood out.

But having “Manteo Fire Dept.” on the outside of your house can pose some challenges.

“We get people who walk right into our house,” David said.  “We’ve had people who wanted their fire extinguishers recharged. Some people came by and needed air for their tires.”

The couple kindly welcomes wayward travelers in and offers air for their tires or directs them to the actual fire station.

Though Brenda and David purchased the home three years ago, they lived in an RV for 18 months while the firehouse was completely gutted and rebuilt.

The couple wanted industrial modern in an area where most contractors specialize in coastal. But, they said general contractor Paul Creef was “phenomenal.”

He oversaw all aspects of the reconstruction. “One of the things that I learned working with Paul in this situation is that he really had every bit of our life in his hands,” Brenda said. “He understood that we had the cars, he understood the vision, he understood what we wanted to do, and he really was pivotal in making it all happen.”

Upstairs, the home has been totally transformed. All of the walls came down to reveal a bright and open living area. Original beams serve as room dividers, seamlessly blending the custom kitchen, dining, and living rooms.

“I had the picture in my head,” she explained. “We sourced most of it with Paul, because some of it is very unique. Everything had to be custom. I could dream it, but he could build it. That’s a gift.”

The windows were resized so that every single window was precisely the same size. The roof wasn’t raised, but the ceiling was removed to give it an airy, industrial feel. Fifteen-foot quartz countertops with double waterfall edges are the star of the kitchen. (“But we can still clutter it, believe me!” Brenda said.) Unique lighting throughout the house – “because to us, lighting is art” – defines rooms and highlights cherished items.

The style is elegant and modern, softened by their two décor loves – carefully selected artwork and sparkling crystal.

One wall has a large section cut away to reveal the original interior of the walls. The concrete blocks – 16 inches wide, 6 inches tall, 4 inches thick – are visible, with the crevices and cracks filled with sand, seashells, and paper. It is covered with glass for protection and longevity.

“We could be the bomb shelter for Manteo because these walls are so intensely strong,” the couple joked.

They stand behind the kitchen counter, looking around the home they’ve dreamed up and designed together. They are proud of what the house is now, and equally proud of what it means to the people who served here.

“The biggest thing with any history is the story it tells, certainly about the town, but also about the people. People needed jobs then,” Brenda said. “It also is a namesake of an unbelievable number of people. That’s why we put up all the posts and articles, so that we can remember what this building really was.”

They are hopeful that the people who attend the tour will tell them stories about the building during the years it served as a firehouse and Town Hall. Maybe some of them will see their family name on the framed list.

Though only a handful of people have been inside the finished home since they moved in on New Year’s Eve 2023, participating in the Manteo Preservation Holiday Tour aligns with their values.

“When they asked us, we loved it,” they said. “The money goes to the trust, so there’s a winner out of it financially. And, everybody gets a chance to see it.”

“It’s part of the Manteo story. We’re new – we’re not an old family, we don’t have an old family name, but we can still bring something to the town,” the owners said.

“We hope people like the chance to see the house and what it has become. And in its own way, it still belongs to the town of Manteo.”

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