116th Street-Columbia University Subway Station (IRT)
Why it's listed
Beneath Broadway at West 116th Street in Morningside Heights, this subway station opened in 1904 as one of the stations built for the original Interborough Rapid Transit system. It is a three-track, side-platform station built by the cut-and-cover method, with a steel column frame, concrete walls and a roof fitted with metal grates that admit light and air. Engineer William Barclay Parsons handled the structure, while the firm Heins & LaFarge designed the decoration. The walls carry buff Roman brick wainscoting, glass and ceramic tile in Columbia blue, faience cornices, bronze vents, and plaques showing the Columbia University seal alternating with the number 116. Mosaic tablets spell out Columbia University. The station is valued for its engineering, its architecture and art, and for helping drive the rapid growth of Morningside Heights after Columbia moved its campus there in 1896. Platform extensions and some resurfaced walls fall outside the boundary.
Significance in brief: The station is significant for its role in the original Interborough Rapid Transit system and its contribution to the rapid development of Morningside Heights. It also reflects early IRT engineering and the City Beautiful-inspired decoration by Heins & LaFarge, including Columbia University-themed faience plaques and mosaic tablets.
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 04001020, listed September 17, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Broadway and West 116sth St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | September 17, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04001020 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1904 |
| Architect / builder | Parsons, William Barclay (engineer); Heins, George L. and LaFarge, Christopher G. (architects) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th & 20th Century Revivals/Beaux-Arts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture, Art, Engineering, Community Planning and Development, Social History |
| Level of significance | National, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recently rehabilitated; still a working subway station with historic wall decoration visible, though some areas have been replaced or are modern. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.80794, -73.96400 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 04001020.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1826870
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.