It is a brick "storefront" firehouse, a type of fire station more commonly seen in cities at the time than small rural villages like Tivoli.

Tivoli was incorporated as a village of the Town of Red Hook in 1872, after a period of tremendous growth due to commerce along the Hudson River.

In 1896 the Village Board passed legislation creating a fire department and calling a special election to decide how it would be financed.

The hipped slate roof is pierced by a dormer with gabled parapet top, four chimneys and a round turreted tower rising from the southwest corner.

[1] On the northern (front) facade, the first floor has two former garage openings, now filled with paneled wooden doors, and a regular entrance between them.

A cornerstone gives the architect, builder and date of construction, and a marble dedication plaque memorializes Watts and de Peyster.

[4] The Visitor Center and exhibit are depicted as "i" (Information) located on Kidd Lane on the map of the Tivoli Bays unit of the HRNERR.