{"nrhp_refnum":"06000026","name":"Substation 13","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"225 W 53rd St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"New York","county":"Manhattan","state":"NY","lat":40.76388252400005,"lon":-73.98363613899994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2006-02-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation","Architecture","Engineering","Community Planning and Development"],"significance_levels":["national","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Substation 13 is a Beaux-Arts electrical substation at 225 West 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan, completed in 1904 as part of the original Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) subway system.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is significant for transportation, community planning and development (Criterion A), and for engineering and architecture (Criterion C). It is one of the best preserved early IRT substations, with three original rotary converters, transformers, switch gear and a General Electric control panel still in place. Its Beaux-Arts facade disguises its function and remains largely intact.","narrative":"Substation 13, at 225 West 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan, was built in 1904 to convert alternating current from the IRT powerhouse into direct current for subway trains. Its street front is a Beaux-Arts design with a rusticated limestone base, two arched portals with wrought-iron grilles, terra cotta window frames and a Corinthian cornice, so it resembles a carriage house or fire station more than a power plant. It is one of the most intact early substations in the system. Three original rotary converters, transformers, switch gear, the General Electric control panel and the basement potheads remain, although around 1985 about half the equipment was replaced with modern rectifiers and the central skylight was roofed over. It was built to serve the Broadway/7th Avenue line from 29th to 73rd Street. It was listed for its role in early subway transportation and for its engineering and architectural design. It is still in use and is owned by the transit authority.","period_of_significance":"1904","architect_builder":"Hunter, Paul (Architectural Assistant IRT); Deyo, S. (Chief Engineer IRT Co.)","architectural_style":"Late 19th Century and Early 20th Century/Beaux-Arts","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still in use as a substation providing traction power; the interior was altered around 1985, when about half the original equipment was replaced with solid-state rectifiers and the skylight was removed.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:53.192293-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/06000026.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000026/85cb07401f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000026/85cb07401f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Americasroof at English Wikipedia","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Substation13.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Americasroof at English Wikipedia</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Substation13.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75313877","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6134968"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/manhattan/substation-13-06000026/"}