Westchester Square Station (Dual System IRT)
Why it's listed
Westchester Square Station is an elevated subway station in the Bronx, carrying the Pelham line (#6 train) above Westchester Avenue. Built from 1916 to 1917 by the Flick & Manuel Construction Company and opened in 1920, it has three tracks and side platforms. Its steel frame is encased in ornamental concrete, with bush-hammered surfaces and inlaid bands of blue, green and orange ceramic tile. Squire J. Vickers, chief architect of the Dual System, designed it for the Public Service Commission. The station was one of the last IRT Dual Contract stations to open, and its completion alongside Pelham Bay Park Station finished the Dual System in the Bronx. The line connected the former village of Westchester to the rest of New York City and helped turn a rural area into a neighborhood of apartment houses and single-family homes. A 1993 renovation replaced interior finishes sympathetically, leaving the original mosaic friezes and signs largely intact. A stained glass window by Romare Bearden is a notable feature of the stair tower.
Significance in brief: The station is significant under Criterion A for transportation, community planning and development, and social history, because the Pelham line opened the eastern Bronx to urbanization and completed the Dual System in the Bronx. It meets Criterion C for engineering, architecture and art, thanks to its ornamental concrete facades, ceramic tile work and design by Squire J. Vickers. It retains a high degree of integrity.
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 05000227, 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 Westchester Ave., from Overing St. to Ferris Place, Bronx |
|---|---|
| County | The Bronx |
| Listed | March 30, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000227 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1916-1920 |
| Architect / builder | Craven, Alfred (chief engineer); Vickers, Squire J. (architect); Seaman, Henry (engineer); built by Flick & Manuel Construction Company |
| Architectural style | Other/Arts and Crafts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture, Art, Engineering, Community Planning and Development, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition and appearing mostly as built; extensively renovated in 1993, with platforms extended after World War II. Still used as a rail station. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.83994, -73.84334 (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 05000227.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1937702
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.