58th to 59th Streets between Eleventh and Twelfth Avenues (IRT Powerhouse)
Date: Â 1904
Type: Â Powerhouse
Architect: Â McKim, Mead & White
Landmarks Commission designated this former wishlist item on December 5th, 2017. Full report to follow!
A majestic symbol of the City Beautiful movement designed by the era’s most prestigious architectural firm, the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) Powerhouse provided electricity for New York’s first subway system. Occupying an entire city bloc, this mammoth structure was the largest powerhouse in the world upon its completion in 1904, and it represented the highest level of technical sophistication in the production of electrical power at that time. The building heralded a new era of electrified urban transportation, illustrating the power of technology to improve urban life. (Adapted from the official Landmarks Preservation commission significance statement)