IRT Powerhouse

The building you see occupying the entire block between 58th and 59th Streets is the Interborough Rapid Transit Company Powerhouse. When it opened in 1904, it was the largest power station in the world. It was designed to provide the massive electrical current required to operate New York City's brand-new subway system, which had previously lacked a reliable source of power. At the time, the city’s electrical grid could not handle such a demand, forcing the transit company to build its own dedicated facility to keep the trains moving.