79th Street Subway Station (IRT)
Why it's listed
Beneath Broadway at West 79th Street, this subway station opened in 1904 as part of the first Interborough Rapid Transit line. Built by the cut-and-cover method, it is a side platform station about 200 feet long, framed with steel columns and girders, concrete walls and cast iron Tuscan columns along the platforms. William Barclay Parsons handled the engineering, while Heins & LaFarge designed the architecture and decoration, drawing on City Beautiful ideas. Surviving finishes include mosaic name tablets, faience cornices, Rookwood Pottery plaques bearing the number 79, Roman brick wainscoting, bronze vents and molded plaster ceilings. Much of the original wall cladding has been replaced with modern tile, though the downtown platform keeps more of its early decoration. The station was listed for its role in transportation and in the growth of the Upper West Side, and for its engineering, design and artistry.
Significance in brief: The station is significant for transportation, community planning and development, and social history (Criterion A), and for engineering, architecture and art (Criterion C). It is one of the early IRT stations designed by engineer William Barclay Parsons with architects Heins & LaFarge. It retains original decorative faience, mosaic and plaster work, and it helped support residential growth on the Upper West Side.
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 04001018, listed September 17, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jxt. of W. 79th St. and Broadway, New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | September 17, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04001018 |
| 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 transportation use. Much of the original wall decoration has been replaced with modern tile, but original decoration remains in the control areas and behind gates on the platforms; some ceramic tiles are in poor condition and spalling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.78385, -73.98001 (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 04001018.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q2524318
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.