Coney Island Yard Electric Motor Repair Shop
Why it's listed
This two-story brick building is the electric motor repair shop of the Coney Island Yard in Brooklyn, a subway yard built between 1925 and 1927 during the Dual Contracts expansion. Also known as the Traction Shop, it sits at the northeast corner of the yard near the main entry. The plain, box-shaped structure has recessed spandrel panels, terra cotta coping, large banks of windows and a sawtooth skylight. Inside, a clear-span central bay rises to the skylight, with exposed steel trusses and riveted girders for overhead cranes. Later changes include fiberglass window panels, brick infill of some openings, extensions from the 1970s and a major renovation in 1994. The shop is significant for transportation, because it kept subway cars in working order, and for architecture, as an intact example of industrial design whose form expresses its function. The yard was designed in-house under chief engineer Robert Ridgway, and the yard itself lost integrity, while the shop retained it.
Significance in brief: The shop is significant under Criterion A for transportation and Criterion C for architecture. It helped keep subway equipment running and is an intact example of industrial design, with a large, well-lit, clear-span center bay. It is part of the Dual Contracts-era yard and is significant at the local level.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 06000016, listed February 9, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SW corner of Avenue X and Shell Rd., Brooklyn |
|---|---|
| County | Brooklyn |
| Listed | February 9, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000016 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1925-1927 |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in rail-related use. It was renovated in 1994, and extensions from the 1970s onward largely obscured the north, south and east facades. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.58976, -73.97481 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 06000016.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5159608
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.