Mott Avenue Control House
Why it's listed
Completed in 1905, this small building near 149th Street and Grand Concourse in the Bronx originally served as an entrance to the Interborough Rapid Transit subway. Its street facade is finished in Roman brick with limestone trim, topped by a glazed terra-cotta cornice and a large faience name tablet in three colors. A porch with three large windows divided by pilasters once projected beyond the building line, but it was removed in 1918 when the Woodlawn branch of the IRT was completed. The building no longer admits passengers and now houses elevator machinery for the 149th Street station beneath it. No important interior features remain. It was listed as part of a group of early control houses, which are described as the only remaining original entrances to the city's subway system. Although this building was altered, reviewers found its historical significance in transportation strong enough to justify inclusion.
Significance in brief: The nomination treats the control houses as the only remaining original entrances to New York's subway system, described as the first such system in the United States. Reviewers noted that the Mott Avenue building has been altered, but its historical association with the history of transportation was judged strong enough to support listing.
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 80002590, listed May 6, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 149th St. and Grand Concourse, New York |
|---|---|
| County | The Bronx |
| Listed | May 6, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002590 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | No longer used as a station entrance; it houses elevator machinery for the 149th Street subway station below, and no important interior features remain. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.74122, -73.97753 (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 80002590.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137190543
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.