Substation 235
Also known as: Greenwich Substation
Why it's listed
Substation 235, known as the Greenwich Substation, is a three-story brick and limestone power station at 23 West 13th Street in Manhattan's West Village. Built in 1932, it converted purchased alternating current into direct current for the trains of the 8th Avenue Line of the city-owned IND subway. Its lot, at the meeting of West 13th Street and Greenwich Avenue, gave it a rectangular plan with a clipped corner and a pointed front. The Art Deco facade hides the building's function behind brown brick laid in Flemish patterns, limestone piers topped with square turrets, a geometric frieze, and embossed aluminum doors beneath a carved name plate. Inside, a windowless hall has a concrete ceiling carried on metal trusses, with an original overhead crane and fresh air intake plenum. Renovations in 2005 removed the last rotary converters. The building is valued for its transportation role, its architecture and its engineering, and it retains a relatively high degree of integrity.
Significance in brief: It is significant for its role in powering the IND's 8th Avenue Line (transportation, community planning and development) and as an example of Art Deco design and subway power engineering. It keeps a relatively high degree of integrity, including its original overhead crane and fresh air intake plenum.
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 06000022, listed February 9, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 23 W. 13th St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | February 9, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000022 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1932 |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement/Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture, Engineering, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Interior renovated in 2005, with the last two automatic rotary converters scheduled for removal and solid state rectifiers installed; basement had fires in 2003 and 2004. Exterior substantially intact. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Greenwich Village Historic District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 40.73891, -74.00226 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 06000022.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q6134970
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.