Bleecker Street Subway Station (IRT)
Why it's listed
Bleecker Street Station is an underground subway stop beneath Lafayette Street in Manhattan's NoHo section, 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, with a steel and concrete frame. Engineer William Barclay Parsons handled the structure, while Heins & LaFarge designed the architecture and decoration in a Beaux-Arts manner influenced by the City Beautiful movement. Cobalt blue faience name tablets, tulip-decorated plaques, Roman brick wainscoting, terra cotta, mosaic bands and a faience cornice survive on the platforms. Some walls have been replaced with modern tile, and water damage and missing glass tile are noted. The station is recognized for its role in transportation, for its engineering and artistry, and for serving a neighborhood of factories and immigrant families who relied on affordable transit. It retains a relatively high degree of historic integrity.
Significance in brief: The station is significant under Criterion A for transportation, community planning and development, and social history, and under Criterion C for engineering, architecture and art. It is one of the original IRT stations, designed by engineer William Barclay Parsons with architects Heins & LaFarge, and it retains high-quality decorative materials and craftsmanship. It also helped shape the growth of the surrounding neighborhood after 1904.
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 04001012, 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 Bleecker and Lafayette Sts., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | September 17, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04001012 |
| 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 transit use, but in need of repair, with water infiltration, spalled and missing tiles, and areas of replaced modern ceramic tile. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.72659, -73.99474 (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 04001012.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q2612992
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.