IRT Powerhouse

IRT Powerhouse
IRT Powerhouse
	Facade of the powerhouse on Eleventh Avenue
General information
Type	Steam power plant
Architectural style	Renaissance Revival
Address	855–869 Eleventh Avenue
Town or city	New York City
Country	United States
Coordinates	40°46′19″N 73°59′32″W / 40.77194°N 73.99222°W
Construction started	1902
Completed	1905
Opened	October 27, 1904
Owner	Consolidated Edison
Dimensions
Other dimensions	500 feet (150 m) (smokestack)
Technical details
Structural system	Steel frame
Floor count	5
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Stanford White
Developer	Interborough Rapid Transit Company
Engineer	John van Vleck, Lewis B. Stillwell, and S. L. F. Deyo
New York City Landmark
Designated	December 5, 2017
Reference no.	2374

The IRT Powerhouse, also known as the Interborough Rapid Transit Company Powerhouse, is a former power station of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT), which operated the New York City Subway's first line. The building fills a block bounded by 58th Street, 59th Street, Eleventh Avenue, and Twelfth Avenue in the Hell's Kitchen and Riverside South neighborhoods of Manhattan.

The IRT Powerhouse was designed in the Renaissance Revival style by Stanford White, an architect working with the firm McKim, Mead & White, and was intended to serve as an aboveground focal point for the IRT. The facade is made of granite, brick, and terracotta, incorporating extensive ornamentation. The interiors were designed by engineers John van Vleck, Lewis B. Stillwell, and S. L. F. Deyo. At its peak, the powerhouse could generate more than 100,000 horsepower (75,000 kW).

The land was acquired in late 1901, and the structure was constructed from 1902 to 1905. Several changes were made to the facility throughout the early and mid-20th century, and an annex to the west was completed in 1950. The New York City Board of Transportation took over operation of the powerhouse when it acquired the IRT in 1940. The building continued to supply power to the subway system until 1959, when Consolidated Edison repurposed the building as part of the New York City steam system. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the powerhouse as a city landmark in 2017, after several decades of attempts to grant landmark status to the building.