|
Home
NYCT
Staten Island
Port Authority
Commuter Rail
Rail America
Forms
Contributors
Links
|
|
|
|
Court
Street-Borough Hall Complex
For photos see
www.nycsubway.org
This complex, in the heart of
Downtown Brooklyn and the Civic Center area, serves the IRT 2/3/4/5
lines with the BMT 4th Ave M/R and late night N trains. It is
a product of the Dual Contracts IRT/BRT construction.
IRT East Side (Borough Hall) opened 1/9/1908 This station serves the 4 and rush hour 5
trains, it is a mix of renovation and restoration to its original
1908 appearance. However 2 of the grand "BH" mosaics on the
N/B side are missing. Platform clearly extends to the south
side where you can get a close up of 2 and 3 trains turning off
before entering their side of this complex, the drab 60's tile was
used for the extension (if the platform extension took place today,
they would use authentic replicas of Borough Hall tablets and
mosaics instead. F/T side is at the center and leads to
Brooklyn Municipal Building and both sides on Joralemon Street.
The subway entrances are also preserved, however, the P/T side at
east side of Joralemon and Court Streets, is renovated and has no
signs of the original 1908 design. The passageway to all other
train services is at the south end. For the first months of
the 1908 opening, this was the temporary terminal until the line was
extended to Atlantic Ave in May, 1908. The N/B platform is ADA
accessible from the passageway, however the S/B platform is not
because no elevators were built for the IRT 4/5 platforms (despite
there is plenty of space on the platform and mezzanines to build 2
elevators, one from each platform to the restored F/T mezzanine.
IRT West Side (Borough Hall) opened 4/15/1919:
This area serves the IRT 2/3 lines and has 2 tracks along 2
side platforms in a dual-level format. The upper level serves
the Manhattan bound trains and passageway to the IRT East Side
station, while the lower level is for southbound (towards Flatbush
and New Lots Avenues). This area is not renovated, but is ADA
accessible be means of a 3-stop elevator that covers both levels
with the mezzanine level to Cadman Plaza West. There are 2
staircases from lower to upper level, one is near the Lexington Ave
passageway, and the other is near the other staircase and up
escalator to mezzanine level. Mosaic has rendition of the
Brooklyn Borough Hall clock tower, across the street from the
Municipal Building. The platform extensions are clearly to the
north end of this station.
The mezzanine level above the IRT West Side platforms, has 1
large street stair and elevator in from of the Brooklyn Supreme
Court Building and Brooklyn Borough Hall, plus 2 newer staircases on
the S/W of Cadman Plaza and Montague Streets. Because of the
installation of the ADA elevator at this area, it was converted from
P/T to full time status, the original hours at this booth were from
6:15 AM to midnight daily. Alongside where the elevator inside fare
control, the mosaic band is the imitation to the original band along
the same mezzanine. The shape of the subway entrances, the
tiles, and the font of the signs, all clearly show these exits were
constructed in the early 1960's. The elevator entrance at street
level, recreates the 1900's look ad is similar to the elevator
outside Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall IRT station. After passing
through fare control there is a passageway to the BMT portion of
this complex. As we walk down towards the escalator,
there is a sealed entrance to a bank, with ghost booth and exit,
blue tiles exist in this area and was probably a new construction in
the 1960's.
BMT Montague Street (Court Street-Borough Hall) opened
3/11/1920: 2 tracks on island platform, it has 2 staircases to
mid-level, and then the escalators mentioned above. The mosaic
on the track wall shows the Brooklyn Borough Hall tower. A
second P/T entrance to Clinton and Montague Streets has 1 staircase
from platform to mid-level, where you can board any one of the 3
elevators to mezzanine level. The doors open on one side at
the bottom level, but open on both sides on the mezzanine level.
There are two street stairs, one of which blends in with a church
upstairs. The platform extension is to the north at the
Clinton St side with a break in the platform walls, they are tunnel
shaped.
For the walking tour, start at the newer looking staircases at
E/S Joralemon and Court Streets and enter fare control. Be
sure you use the Manhattan-bound staircase, or your tour will not
work. Walk down to other end, walk upstairs to the Borough
Hall mezzanine then back down. Go through passageway, to the
IRT 2/3 platform, go upstairs and turn right to walk through the
passageway. Observe the blue tiled area where the sealed exit
and bank once stood. Go down the escalator and far staircase to BMT
platform, then walk down the R line platform to Clinton St side and
ride the elevator back to the last mezzanine. |
|
|