18th Street station (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)

Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox NYCS The 18th Street station was a local station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. It was located at the intersection of Park Avenue South and 18th Street in Gramercy, Manhattan.

The 18th Street station was constructed for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) as part of the city's first subway line, which was approved in 1900. Construction of the line segment that includes the 18th Street station started on September 12 of the same year. The station opened on October 27, 1904, as one of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway. The station was closed on November 8, 1948, as a result of a platform lengthening project at 23rd Street.

The 18th Street station contains two abandoned side platforms and four tracks. The station was built with tile and mosaic decorations. Many of these decorations have been covered with graffiti.

History

Construction and opening

Template:Stack Planning for a subway line in New York City dates to 1864.<ref name="Walker 1918" />Template:Rp However, development of what would become the city's first subway line did not start until 1894, when the New York State Legislature passed the Rapid Transit Act.<ref name="Walker 1918">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp The subway plans were drawn up by a team of engineers led by William Barclay Parsons, the Rapid Transit Commission's chief engineer. It called for a subway line from New York City Hall in lower Manhattan to the Upper West Side, where two branches would lead north into the Bronx.<ref name="NYCL-1096">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Rp A plan was formally adopted in 1897,<ref name="Walker 1918" />Template:Rp and all legal conflicts concerning the route alignment were resolved near the end of 1899.<ref name="Walker 1918" />Template:Rp The Rapid Transit Construction Company, organized by John B. McDonald and funded by August Belmont Jr., signed the initial Contract 1 with the Rapid Transit Commission in February 1900,<ref name="Board of Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners 1905">Template:Cite book</ref> in which it would construct the subway and maintain a 50-year operating lease from the opening of the line.<ref name="Walker 1918" />Template:Rp In 1901, the firm of Heins & LaFarge was hired to design the underground stations.<ref name="NYCL-1096" />Template:Rp Belmont incorporated the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) in April 1902 to operate the subway.<ref name="Walker 1918" />Template:Rp

The 18th Street station was constructed as part of the route segment from Great Jones Street to 41st Street. Construction on this section of the line began on September 12, 1900. The section from Great Jones Street to a point 100 feet (30 m) north of 33rd Street was awarded to Holbrook, Cabot & Daly Contracting Company, while the remaining section to 41st Street was done by Ira A. Shaker.<ref name="Board of Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners 1905" /> By late 1903, the subway was nearly complete, but the IRT Powerhouse and the system's electrical substations were still under construction, delaying the system's opening.<ref name="Walker 1918" />Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The 18th Street station opened on October 27, 1904, as one of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway from City Hall to 145th Street on the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line.<ref name="145th" /><ref name="Walker 1918"/>Template:Rp

Service changes and closure

After the first subway line was completed in 1908,<ref name="242nd">Template:Cite news</ref> the station was served by local trains along both the West Side (now the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line to Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street) and East Side (now the Lenox Avenue Line). West Side local trains had their southern terminus at City Hall during rush hours and South Ferry at other times, and had their northern terminus at 242nd Street. East Side local trains ran from City Hall to Lenox Avenue (145th Street).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

To address overcrowding, in 1909, the New York Public Service Commission proposed lengthening the platforms at stations along the original IRT subway.<ref name="HAER Impact">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Rp As part of a modification to the IRT's construction contracts made on January 18, 1910, the company was to lengthen station platforms to accommodate ten-car express and six-car local trains. In addition to $1.5 million (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation/year) spent on platform lengthening, $500,000 (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation/year) was spent on building additional entrances and exits. It was anticipated that these improvements would increase capacity by 25 percent.<ref name="Report 1911">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp Platforms at local stations, such as the 18th Street station, were lengthened by between Template:Convert. Both platforms were extended to the north and south.<ref name="Report 1911"/>Template:Rp Six-car local trains began operating in October 1910.<ref name="HAER Impact" />Template:Rp The Lexington Avenue Line opened north of Grand Central–42nd Street in 1918, and the original line was divided into an H-shaped system. All local trains were sent via the Lexington Avenue Line, running along the Pelham Line in the Bronx.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In December 1922, the Transit Commission approved a $3 million project to lengthen platforms at 14 local stations along the original IRT line, including 18th Street and seven other stations on the Lexington Avenue Line. Platform lengths at these stations would be increased from Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p576721174">Template:Cite news</ref> The commission postponed the platform-lengthening project in September 1923, at which point the cost had risen to $5.6 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=p1237290874>Template:Cite news</ref>

The closing of this station was proposed as early as 1928.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The city government took over the IRT's operations on June 12, 1940.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p1248134780">Template:Cite news</ref> The station closed on November 8, 1948. The platforms at 23rd Street had been lengthened, with entrances at 22nd Street, and the 18th Street station was close to the 14th Street–Union Square station.<ref name=Closing/>

Station layout

Entrance area with ticket booth and control

Like other local stations, 18th Street has four tracks and two abandoned side platforms. The two local tracks, which formerly served the station, are used by the 6 train at all times, <6> trains during weekdays in the peak direction, and the 4 train during late nights. The two express tracks are used by the 4 and 5 trains during daytime hours.<ref name="tracks">Template:NYCS const</ref> The platforms were Template:Convert long, like at other local stations on the original IRT.<ref name="NYCL-1096"/>Template:Rp<ref name="HAER Designs"/>Template:Rp

As with other stations built as part of the original IRT, the station was constructed using a cut-and-cover method.<ref name="HAER CE">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Rp The tunnel is covered by a U-shaped trough that contains utility pipes and wires. The bottom of this trough contains a foundation of concrete no less than Template:Convert thick.<ref name="HAER Designs"/>Template:Rp Each former platform consists of Template:Convert concrete slabs, beneath which are drainage basins. The former platforms contain circular, cast-iron Doric-style columns spaced every Template:Convert. Additional columns between the tracks, spaced every Template:Convert, support the jack-arched concrete station roofs.<ref name="NYCL-1096" />Template:Rp<ref name="HAER Designs">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Rp There is a Template:Convert gap between the trough wall and the platform walls, which are made of Template:Convert-thick brick covered over by a tiled finish.<ref name="HAER Designs"/>Template:Rp

The decorative scheme consisted of blue/green tile tablets, buff and violet tile bands, a violet faience cornice, and green faience plaques.<ref name="HAER Designs"/>Template:Rp The mosaic tiles at all original IRT stations were manufactured by the American Encaustic Tile Company, which subcontracted the installations at each station.<ref name="HAER Designs"/>Template:Rp The decorative work was performed by tile contractor Manhattan Glass Tile Company and faience contractor Grueby Faience Company.<ref name="HAER Designs"/>Template:Rp The 18th Street station is fairly well preserved, with the exception of graffiti and some litter.

See also

• Worth Street station
• 91st Street station (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)

External links

• Template:NYCS ref
• Abandoned Stations – 18 Street
• Forgotten NY – Original 28 – NYC's First 28 Subway Stations
• Forgotten NY: Subways and Trains – Dead at 18