45th Road-Court House Square Station (Dual System IRT)
Why it's listed
Rising above 23rd Street in Long Island City, this elevated subway station on the Flushing Line (7 train) was built between 1914 and 1916 under the Dual Contracts system for the IRT. It has two side platforms covered by steel-framed canopies, with a wooden-windowed control house below track level reached by three covered steel stairways. The platforms were lengthened in the 1950s, but the control house interior remains largely original, with tongue-and-groove wood paneling. Architect Squire Vickers favored simpler, more utilitarian designs than the original IRT stations, and this plain, unadorned station is considered a well-preserved example of that restrained approach. The Flushing Line, which tunneled under the East River, turned northern Queens from farmland and open space into a densely settled residential area. The station is significant for its role in transportation and community development and for its engineering and design, at the local level.
Significance in brief: The station is significant under Criterion A for transportation, community planning and development, and social history, because the Flushing Line opened northern Queens to dense residential development. It also meets Criterion C for engineering and architecture as a well-preserved, restrained example of Dual Contracts station design. It retains a relatively high degree of integrity and is significant at the local level.
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 05000229, listed March 30, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Above 23rd St. bet. 44th Dr. and 45ht Rd., Queens |
|---|---|
| County | Queens |
| Listed | March 30, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000229 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1914-1916 |
| Architect / builder | Vickers, Squire Joseph (architect); Craven, Alfred (engineer) |
| Architectural style | Other/Arts and Crafts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture, Engineering, Community Planning and Development, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a subway station; the platforms were extended in the 1950s and some windows and roofing were replaced in the early 1990s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.74642, -73.94552 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 05000229.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q2611918
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.