Fulton Hill Properties saw the potential in the bones of this beautiful, but neglected former Chimborazo School, built in 1905. Named for nearby Chimborazo Park, the school was closed in 1968, and converted to elderly housing in the 1990s.

The name Lava Lofts is a play on the area’s history, as well. Famed explorer Alexander Humbolt attempted a climb of a volcano in Ecuador called Mt. Chimborazo — at the time, thought to be the tallest mountain in the world at 21,000 ft. It was this volcano that came to mind during the Civil War, when he stood before the hill he named Chimborazo Hill. One of the most efficient and active military hospitals of the Civil War, named, of course, Chimborazo Hospital, spanned the top of that hill.

Blocks away and more than a century and a half later, we restored this building to its historic glory, creating affordable loft apartments and revitalizing a growing neighborhood.

Lava Lofts is 40,000 sf with 50 apartments ranging from 465 to 1,155 square feet. The transformation includes a mixed-use component with a local grocery store and restaurant in the lower level.

The building sold in 2014.