Prospect Avenue Subway Station (IRT)
Why it's listed
Prospect Avenue Station is an elevated subway station in the east Bronx, built in 1904 as part of the original Interborough Rapid Transit line. It has two side platforms with canopies, two control houses and covered stairways down to the street. The platforms were extended in 1908. The Queen Anne-style control houses, designed by the architects Heins & LaFarge, have copper-clad walls, hipped roofs, fan gables and decorative cast-iron stair railings. The Uptown house is larger than most and has a wraparound veranda. Engineer William Barclay Parsons handled the structural design, while the architects shaped the stations' appearance. The station was recognized for its role in transportation and in the growth of a Bronx neighborhood that was becoming a residential area for the city's upper-middle class. It was also recognized for its engineering and architecture. Much of the original fabric survives, including railings, entries, interior paneling and signage brackets, and the control houses remain a visual focus at a busy intersection.
Significance in brief: The station is significant for transportation, community planning and development, and social history as part of the original Interborough Rapid Transit system, and for engineering and architectural design. Its Queen Anne-style control houses by Heins & LaFarge and the engineering by William Barclay Parsons are largely intact. It also contributed to the development of a growing residential area of the Bronx.
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 04001026, 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 Westchester and Lonwood Aves. and Prospect St., Bronx |
|---|---|
| County | The Bronx |
| Listed | September 17, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04001026 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1904-1908 |
| Architect / builder | Parsons, William Barclay (engineer); Heins, George L. and LaFarge, Christopher G. (architects) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Queen Anne |
| 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. The Downtown control house exterior is in very good condition, while the Uptown side has some replaced roofs and covered windows. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.81970, -73.90168 (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 04001026.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q596784
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.