145th Street Subway Station (IRT)
Why it's listed
Beneath Lenox Avenue at 145th Street in northern Harlem lies a subway station that opened on November 23, 1904, as part of the first IRT contract. It is a two-track, side-platform local station built by the cut-and-cover method, with concrete walls, steel columns and platforms about 348 feet long. Only this station and South Ferry were never lengthened to the common 515-foot platform size. Engineer William Barclay Parsons handled the structure, while architects George L. Heins and Christopher Grant LaFarge designed the decoration. Surviving details include faience plaques showing "145" flanked by cornucopias, a tulip-patterned terra cotta frieze, Roman brick wainscoting and mosaic name tablets. Some tiles have been replaced or painted over, and the entrances have modern railings. The station was the terminus of the original Lenox Avenue branch. It stayed open after a new terminal opened in 1968 because the community insisted on it. It is recognized for its role in early rapid transit and its craftsmanship.
Significance in brief: The station is significant under Criterion A for transportation, community planning and development, and social history, as part of the original IRT subway system. It also meets Criterion C for engineering, architecture and art, through its cut-and-cover construction and its decorative faience, mosaic and tile work. It retains a relatively high degree of integrity.
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 05000231, listed March 30, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Under Lenox Avenue at the jct. with 145th St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | March 30, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000231 |
| 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) | Still in use as a station; the platforms were never extended to the standard 515-foot length, and some original wall tiles and finishes have been replaced, painted over or damaged. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.82039, -73.93629 (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 05000231.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q2015285
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.