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List of fake buildings

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This is a list of fake buildings which are structures that use urban and suburban camouflage to disguise equipment and city infrastructure facilities that are aesthetically unpleasing in non-industrial neighborhoods. The list does not include utility sheds such as small pumphouses.

Communication

This lists fake buildings that are used for communication facilities such as telephone exchanges and data centers.

Name Image Address Town / City Country Coordinates Purpose Notes and references
West Hartford Data Center 130 South Main Street West Hartford, Connecticut United States 41°45′12″N 72°44′36″W / 41.75336°N 72.74336°W / 41.75336; -72.74336 Data center Built for telephone exchange, but later converted into a data center.
636 Orange Center Road 636 Orange Center Road Orange, Connecticut United States 41°16′48″N 73°01′38″W / 41.27995°N 73.02723°W / 41.27995; -73.02723 Telecommunication equipment Frontier Communications building disguised as a single family home with blackout windows
335 Glen Road Upload image 335 Glen Road Rochester, New York United States 43°07′39″N 77°31′09″W / 43.12738°N 77.51907°W / 43.12738; -77.51907 Telecommunication equipment
91 Pinegrove Avenue Upload image 91 Pinegrove Avenue Rochester, New York United States 43°13′33″N 77°35′49″W / 43.22593°N 77.59686°W / 43.22593; -77.59686 Telecommunication equipment
Henson 13352 Blossomheath Lane Dallas, Texas United States 32°55′48″N 96°46′10″W / 32.93005°N 96.769412°W / 32.93005; -96.769412 Data center Owned by AT&T. Disguised as a large suburban house.
Henson 2 13229 Southview Lane Dallas, Texas United States 32°55′47″N 96°46′10″W / 32.92961°N 96.76949°W / 32.92961; -96.76949 Data center Previously owned by AT&T. Disguised as a large suburban house.

Ventilation

This lists fake buildings that are used for ventilation of enclosed spaces such as tunnels.

Name Image Address Town / City Country Coordinates Purpose Notes and references
Thornton Tunnel Ventilation House Upload image 3911 Frances Street Burnaby, British Columbia Canada 49°16′46″N 123°01′06″W / 49.27954°N 123.01840°W / 49.27954; -123.01840 Ventilation shaft Part of Thornton Tunnel for Canadian National Railway
Towers substation Upload image 1423 rue Towers Montreal, Quebec Canada 45°29′34″N 73°34′53″W / 45.49273°N 73.58139°W / 45.49273; -73.58139 Ventilation shaft Historical landmark rebuilt brick by brick as a ventilation station for the Montreal Metro
23–24 Leinster Gardens 23–24 Leinster Gardens Bayswater, London England 51°30′45″N 0°11′01″W / 51.51261°N 0.18361°W / 51.51261; -0.18361 Ventilation shaft For the London Underground. Disguised with grayed out windows
2 Old Eldon Square 2, Old Eldon Square Newcastle upon Tyne England 54°58′27″N 1°36′52″W / 54.97430°N 1.61445°W / 54.97430; -1.61445 Ventilation shaft For Tyne and Wear Metro, vents on the roof (seen on the right of the photo)
145 rue La Fayette 145, rue La Fayette 10th arrondissement of Paris France 48°52′45″N 2°21′22″E / 48.87920°N 2.35614°E / 48.87920; 2.35614 Ventilation shaft For RATP Paris Métro
29 rue Quincampoix 29 rue Quincampoix 4th arrondissement of Paris France 48°51′37″N 2°21′00″E / 48.86029°N 2.35008°E / 48.86029; 2.35008 Ventilation shaft For RATP. Trompe l'oeil paintings on windows.
Ventilation shaft of the Magenta station Upload image 174 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis 10th arrondissement of Paris France 48°52′48″N 2°21′27″E / 48.87998°N 2.35763°E / 48.87998; 2.35763 Ventilation shaft Part of EOLE project
3 rue de l'Aqueduc Upload image 3 rue de l'Aqueduc 10th arrondissement of Paris France 48°52′47″N 2°21′29″E / 48.87978°N 2.35800°E / 48.87978; 2.35800 Technical shaft Part of EOLE project
Yarmouth Street Ventilation Shaft Yarmouth Street Boston, Massachusetts United States 42°20′46″N 71°04′38″W / 42.346207°N 71.077265°W / 42.346207; -71.077265 Ventilation shaft The ventilation shaft (the rightmost portion) was wrapped by a brick facade to create an appearance of a bow-front townhouse
58 Joralemon Street 58 Joralemon Street Brooklyn, New York United States 40°41′36″N 73°59′51″W / 40.69345°N 73.99740°W / 40.69345; -73.99740 Ventilation shaft and emergency exit For the New York City Subway. Disguised with blacked out windows.

Water and wastewater management

This list fake buildings that are used to house equipment for water distribution networks, sewage management, and stormwater management.

Name Image Address Town / City Country Coordinates Purpose Notes and references
Duffus Street pumping station Upload image 5211 Duffus Street Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada 44°40′15″N 63°36′07″W / 44.67087°N 63.60195°W / 44.67087; -63.60195 Sewage pumping station Halifax Water underground station with an entrance disguised as a split-level home.
North Oakville East Wastewater Pumping Station Upload image 345 Dundas Street West Oakville, Ontario Canada 43°28′12″N 79°44′24″W / 43.470066°N 79.739913°W / 43.470066; -79.739913 Sewage pumping station Disguised as an early 20th century fire station.
WNY1 Solids & Floatables Facility South of 6400 Anthony M. Defino Way West New York, New Jersey United States 40°47′11″N 74°00′12″W / 40.78640°N 74.00329°W / 40.78640; -74.00329 Combined sewer overflow screening facility A facility disguised as townhouses, built in 2009 by North Hudson Sewerage Authority
H1 Screening and Wet Weather Pump Station 99 Observer Highway Hoboken, New Jersey United States 40°44′08″N 74°01′53″W / 40.73546°N 74.03131°W / 40.73546; -74.03131 Combined sewer overflow screening and flood pumping station Disguised as a modern building that has an architectural connection to the Hoboken Terminal
Belindeer Pump Station Upload image 5700 Belinder Avenue Fairway, Kansas United States 39°01′33″N 94°37′01″W / 39.02586°N 94.61692°W / 39.02586; -94.61692 Sewage pumping station Johnson County Wastewater
Nall Avenue Holding Station Upload image 7490 Nall Avenue Prairie Village, Kansas United States 38°59′36″N 94°38′58″W / 38.99347°N 94.64951°W / 38.99347; -94.64951 Sewage pumping station Johnson County Wastewater
Wade Avenue Pump Station Upload image 3215 Wade Avenue Raleigh, North Carolina United States 35°48′03″N 78°40′43″W / 35.80076°N 78.67854°W / 35.80076; -78.67854 Water booster pumping station Raleigh Public Utilities Department
Lake Gaston Pipeline Pump Station Upload image 207 Beddingfield Way Valentines, Virginia United States 36°32′48″N 77°51′46″W / 36.54661°N 77.86273°W / 36.54661; -77.86273 Water source pipeline pumping station Lake Gaston is a water source for Virginia Beach, Virginia. The station is disguised as a lake house.
Alline Avenue Pump Station Upload image 2921 W Alline Avenue Tampa, Florida United States 27°53′54″N 82°29′32″W / 27.89821°N 82.49224°W / 27.89821; -82.49224 Stormwater pumping station Disguised as a bungalow
Locust Valley Pump Station 20 Meleny Rd Locust Valley, New York United States 40°54′17″N 73°34′58″W / 40.90480°N 73.58274°W / 40.90480; -73.58274 Sewage pumping station Disguised as a small single family house
Glannon Pump Station 3788 Mt Royal Boulevard Allison Park, Pennsylvania United States 40°33′15″N 79°58′16″W / 40.55423°N 79.97106°W / 40.55423; -79.97106 Sewage pumping station Disguised as a single family home with a front porch
Highland Park Wastewater Treatment Facility 316 Highland Park Road Sellersville, Pennsylvania United States 40°20′42″N 75°18′06″W / 40.34509°N 75.30164°W / 40.34509; -75.30164 Wastewater treatment plant Hilltown Township Water & Sewer Authority. Plant disguised as a red barn.
Wyndgate Subdivision Wastewater Treatment Plant Upload image 128 Wyndgate Valley Drive O'Fallon, Missouri United States 38°44′53″N 90°48′30″W / 38.74815°N 90.80847°W / 38.74815; -90.80847 Membrane bioreactors wastewater treatment plant A subdivision of Duckett Creek Sanitary District. Plant disguised as a two-story single family house to blend in with the neighbors.
Riverdale Subdivision Wastewater Treatment Facility Upload image 1400 Riverdale Manor Drive O'Fallon, Missouri United States 38°53′01″N 90°44′38″W / 38.88364°N 90.74379°W / 38.88364; -90.74379 Membrane bioreactors wastewater treatment plant A subdivision of Duckett Creek Sanitary District. Plant disguised as a horse barn.
Southport Unit 5 Vacuum Station Upload image 2281 SE Sidonia Street Port St. Lucie, Florida United States 27°16′22″N 80°18′14″W / 27.27287°N 80.30376°W / 27.27287; -80.30376 Sewage pumping station Disguised as a bunkalow.
Kennedy Avenue Pump Station Upload image 6448 Kennedy Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio United States 39°11′16″N 84°24′49″W / 39.18771°N 84.41348°W / 39.18771; -84.41348 Water pumping station Disguised as an apartment building in the Kennedy Heights neighborhood.

Heating and cooling

This lists fake buildings that are used for providing heating and cooling services such as district heating, district cooling and cold district heating.

Name Image Address Town / City Country Coordinates Purpose Notes and references
Metro Nashville District Energy System Upload image 90 Peabody Street Nashville, Tennessee United States 36°09′30″N 86°46′13″W / 36.15847°N 86.77039°W / 36.15847; -86.77039 District heating / District cooling Enclosure with facade that has fake windows

Electric power distribution

See also: List of fake buildings in Toronto

This lists fake buildings that are used for electric power distribution, such as distribution substations and transformer houses.

Name Image Address Town / City Country Coordinates Purpose Notes and references
Strecker Memorial Laboratory Southpoint Park, Roosevelt Island New York, New York United States 40°45′08″N 73°57′30″W / 40.75230°N 73.95822°W / 40.75230; -73.95822 Power conversion substation Converted from an infectious disease laboratory
Mott Haven Substation 415 Bruckner Boulevard Bronx, New York United States 40°48′28″N 73°54′22″W / 40.80783°N 73.90622°W / 40.80783; -73.90622 Substation ConEdison substation made to look like townhouses in a gated community.
51 W Ontario Street 51 W Ontario Street Chicago, Illinois United States 41°53′35″N 87°37′48″W / 41.89306°N 87.63000°W / 41.89306; -87.63000 Substation Georgian building with fake front doors, and windows that are used as vents.
4227 40th St NW Upload image 4227 40th St NW Washington, DC United States 38°56′39″N 77°04′42″W / 38.94409°N 77.07843°W / 38.94409; -77.07843 Substation Pepco substation disguised as a two-story brick house. Side windows painted as blinds.
4225 40th St NW Upload image 4225 40th St NW Washington, DC United States 38°56′39″N 77°04′42″W / 38.94414°N 77.07820°W / 38.94414; -77.07820 Substation Disguised as a shred behind 4227 40th St NW
4000 Van Ness St NW Upload image 4000 Van Ness St NW Washington, DC United States 38°56′34″N 77°04′44″W / 38.94264°N 77.07900°W / 38.94264; -77.07900 Substation Pepco substation disguised as an office building with blacked out windows
1001 Harvard St NW Upload image 1001 Harvard St NW Washington, DC United States 38°55′37″N 77°01′35″W / 38.92698°N 77.02645°W / 38.92698; -77.02645 Substation Pepco substation that imitates an old train station but with whited out windows
Pepco Darnestown Substation Upload image 16010 Riffle Ford Road Gaithersburg, Maryland United States 39°07′04″N 77°15′46″W / 39.11778°N 77.26282°W / 39.11778; -77.26282 Substation Pepco substation that imitates a large barn with metal silo in a rural area
2530 Norton Street Upload image 2530 Norton Street Rochester, New York United States 43°11′19″N 77°33′13″W / 43.18862°N 77.55358°W / 43.18862; -77.55358 Substation
250 Seneca Park Avenue Upload image 250 Seneca Park Avenue Rochester, New York United States 43°13′32″N 77°36′28″W / 43.22552°N 77.60778°W / 43.22552; -77.60778 Substation
Detroit Edison Lake Orion substation 215 E. Church Street Lake Orion, Michigan United States 42°47′15″N 83°14′13″W / 42.78745°N 83.23695°W / 42.78745; -83.23695 Substation Constructed in 1926 in Tudor Revival style to match the residential neighborhood.
Peermont Substation Upload image 271 61st Street Avalon, New Jersey United States 39°04′37″N 74°44′27″W / 39.07707°N 74.74086°W / 39.07707; -74.74086 Substation Atlantic City Electric Company substation disguised as a shore house

See also

References

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  5. "91 Pinegrove Ave Rochester, NY 14617". Monroe County, NY. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
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