IRT Sixth Avenue Line
Encyclopedia
The IRT
Sixth Avenue Line, often called the Sixth Avenue Elevated or Sixth Avenue El, was the second elevated railway
in Manhattan
in New York City
, following the Ninth Avenue Elevated
. In addition to its transportation role, it also captured the imagination of artists and poets.
The line ran south of Central Park
, mainly along Sixth Avenue
. Beyond the park, trains continued north on the Ninth Avenue Line.
, then west for a block at Murray Street, then north again on West Broadway
, west again across West 3rd Street to the foot of Sixth Avenue, and then north to 59th Street. The following year, ownership passed to the Manhattan Railway
Company, which also controlled the other elevated railways in Manhattan. In 1881, the line was connected to the largely rebuilt Ninth Avenue Elevated; it was joined in the south at Morris Street, and in the north by a connecting link running across 53rd Street.
Due to its central location in Manhattan and the inversion of the usual relationship between street noise and height, the Sixth Avenue El attracted artists; in addition to being the subject of several paintings by John French Sloan
, it was also painted by Francis Criss
and others. http://www.mountainx.com/ae/1998/0708art.php
As with all elevated railways, the Sixth Avenue El made life for those nearby difficult. It was noisy, it made buildings shake, and it bombarded pedestrians underneath with dropping ash, oil, and cinders. Eventually, a coalition of commercial establishments and building owners along Sixth Avenue campaigned to have the El removed, on the grounds that it was depressing business and property values. The Sixth Avenue El was closed on December 4, 1938 and razed during 1939, paving the way for the replacement underground IND Sixth Avenue Line
, which opened between 1936 and 1940.
The footings for the El were again rediscovered in the early 1990s during a Sixth Avenue renovation project.
from the demolition would reach the Japanese
. It was widely believed during World War II
that some of this metal was being used in armaments against Americans. That notion became the ironic suggestion within the lines of E. E. Cummings
's 1944 poem "plato told."
Twenty thousand tons of scrap metal from the El was sold to a dealer on the west coast who was in the export business. The New York Times pointed out in December 1938 that even if the scrap did not go directly to Japan, for possible use against China, such a large amount of scrap metal arriving on the market would free up metal to be sent to Japan.
At a meeting of the New York City Board of Estimate
in 1942, Stanley M. Isaacs, the Manhattan Borough President, denied that steel from the El was sold to Japan. Isaacs said that when the demolition contract was drafted in 1938, "at my insistence the contract provided that not one ounce of that steel could be exported to Japan or to any one else." Isaacs said that the contractor was prohibited from exporting the steel from the El, and carried out his obligation to the letter.
Reports of the supposed sale of the scrap to Japan persisted. In 1961, an attorney for the Harris Structural Steel Company, which was involved in the demolition, told syndicated columnist George Sokolsky
that continued reports of the sale of steel from the El to Japan were not accurate. The attorney said that none of the steel from the El reached Japan directly or indirectly.
Interborough Rapid Transit Company
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the private operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT was purchased by the City in June 1940...
Sixth Avenue Line, often called the Sixth Avenue Elevated or Sixth Avenue El, was the second elevated railway
Elevated railway
An elevated railway is a form of rapid transit railway with the tracks built above street level on some form of viaduct or other steel or concrete structure. The railway concerned may be constructed according to the standard gauge, narrow gauge, light rail, monorail or suspension railway system...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, following the Ninth Avenue Elevated
IRT Ninth Avenue Line
The IRT Ninth Avenue Line, often called the Ninth Avenue El, was the first elevated railway in New York City. It opened in 1868 as the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, a cable-hauled line. It ceased operation in 1940....
. In addition to its transportation role, it also captured the imagination of artists and poets.
The line ran south of Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, mainly along Sixth Avenue
Sixth Avenue (Manhattan)
Sixth Avenue – officially Avenue of the Americas, although this name is seldom used by New Yorkers – is a major thoroughfare in New York City's borough of Manhattan, on which traffic runs northbound, or "uptown"...
. Beyond the park, trains continued north on the Ninth Avenue Line.
History
The elevated line was constructed during the 1870s by the Gilbert Elevated Railway, subsequently reorganized as the Metropolitan Elevated Railway. By June 1878, its route ran north from the corner of Rector Street and Trinity Place up Trinity Place / Church StreetChurch Street (Manhattan)
Church Street is a short but heavily travelled north/south street in Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs along the eastern edge of the site of the World Trade Center destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Its southern end is at Trinity Place, of which it is a continuation...
, then west for a block at Murray Street, then north again on West Broadway
West Broadway (Manhattan)
West Broadway, not to be confused with Broadway, is a north-south street in the New York City borough of Manhattan separated into two parts by a park. The northern part begins at TriBeCa Park, near the intersection of Sixth Avenue, Walker Street and Beach Street in TriBeCa...
, west again across West 3rd Street to the foot of Sixth Avenue, and then north to 59th Street. The following year, ownership passed to the Manhattan Railway
Manhattan Railway
The Manhattan Railway was an elevated railway company in Manhattan and the Bronx, New York City, United States.It operated four lines* Second Avenue Line* Third Avenue Line* Sixth Avenue Line* Ninth Avenue Line-History:...
Company, which also controlled the other elevated railways in Manhattan. In 1881, the line was connected to the largely rebuilt Ninth Avenue Elevated; it was joined in the south at Morris Street, and in the north by a connecting link running across 53rd Street.
Due to its central location in Manhattan and the inversion of the usual relationship between street noise and height, the Sixth Avenue El attracted artists; in addition to being the subject of several paintings by John French Sloan
John French Sloan
John French Sloan was an American artist. As a member of The Eight, he became a leading figure in the Ashcan School of realist artists. He was known for his urban genre painting and ability to capture the essence of neighborhood life in New York City, often through his window...
, it was also painted by Francis Criss
Francis Criss
Francis Hyman Criss was an American painter. Criss's style is associated with the American Precisionists like Charles Demuth and his friend Charles Sheeler.Criss was born in London and immigrated with his family at age 4...
and others. http://www.mountainx.com/ae/1998/0708art.php
As with all elevated railways, the Sixth Avenue El made life for those nearby difficult. It was noisy, it made buildings shake, and it bombarded pedestrians underneath with dropping ash, oil, and cinders. Eventually, a coalition of commercial establishments and building owners along Sixth Avenue campaigned to have the El removed, on the grounds that it was depressing business and property values. The Sixth Avenue El was closed on December 4, 1938 and razed during 1939, paving the way for the replacement underground IND Sixth Avenue Line
IND Sixth Avenue Line
The Sixth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in the United States. It runs mainly under Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, and continues south through the Rutgers Street Tunnel to Brooklyn...
, which opened between 1936 and 1940.
The footings for the El were again rediscovered in the early 1990s during a Sixth Avenue renovation project.
Allegations demolition scrap was sold to Japan
When the El was taken down, concern was expressed that scrap metalScrap Metal
Scrap Metal were a band from Broome, Western Australia who played rock music with elements of country and reggae. The members had Aboriginal, Irish, Filipino, French, Chinese, Scottish, Indonesian and Japanese heritage. The band toured nationally as part of the Bran Nue Dae musical and with...
from the demolition would reach the Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
. It was widely believed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
that some of this metal was being used in armaments against Americans. That notion became the ironic suggestion within the lines of E. E. Cummings
E. E. Cummings
Edward Estlin Cummings , popularly known as E. E. Cummings, with the abbreviated form of his name often written by others in lowercase letters as e.e. cummings , was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright...
's 1944 poem "plato told."
Twenty thousand tons of scrap metal from the El was sold to a dealer on the west coast who was in the export business. The New York Times pointed out in December 1938 that even if the scrap did not go directly to Japan, for possible use against China, such a large amount of scrap metal arriving on the market would free up metal to be sent to Japan.
At a meeting of the New York City Board of Estimate
New York City Board of Estimate
The New York City Board of Estimate was a governmental body in New York City, responsible for budget and land-use decisions. Under the charter of the newly amalgamated City of Greater New York the Board of Estimate and Apportionment was composed of eight ex officio members: the Mayor of New York...
in 1942, Stanley M. Isaacs, the Manhattan Borough President, denied that steel from the El was sold to Japan. Isaacs said that when the demolition contract was drafted in 1938, "at my insistence the contract provided that not one ounce of that steel could be exported to Japan or to any one else." Isaacs said that the contractor was prohibited from exporting the steel from the El, and carried out his obligation to the letter.
Reports of the supposed sale of the scrap to Japan persisted. In 1961, an attorney for the Harris Structural Steel Company, which was involved in the demolition, told syndicated columnist George Sokolsky
George Sokolsky
George Ephraim Sokolsky was a weekly radio broadcaster for the National Association of Manufacturers and a columnist for The New York Herald Tribune, who later switched to The New York Sun and other Hearst newspapers.-Biography:...
that continued reports of the sale of steel from the El to Japan were not accurate. The attorney said that none of the steel from the El reached Japan directly or indirectly.
Station listing
| Station | Tracks | Opening date | Closing date | Transfers & Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| merge from IRT Ninth Avenue Line IRT Ninth Avenue Line The IRT Ninth Avenue Line, often called the Ninth Avenue El, was the first elevated railway in New York City. It opened in 1868 as the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, a cable-hauled line. It ceased operation in 1940.... at 59th Street 59th Street (IRT Ninth Avenue Line) 59th Street was a station on the demolished IRT Ninth Avenue Line. It had two levels. The lower level was built first and had two tracks and two side platforms that served local trains. The upper level was built as part of the Dual Contracts and had one track that served express trains. It closed... |
||||
| Eighth Avenue Eighth Avenue (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) Eighth Avenue was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had three tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was 50th Street... |
local | December 4, 1938 | ||
| tracks merge from 58th Street Terminal 58th Street Terminal (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) 58th Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had three tracks and two side platforms. The center track was used for storage. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on June 16, 1924. The next southbound stop was 50th Street.... and Eighth Avenue Eighth Avenue (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) Eighth Avenue was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had three tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was 50th Street... |
||||
| 58th Street Terminal 58th Street Terminal (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) 58th Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had three tracks and two side platforms. The center track was used for storage. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on June 16, 1924. The next southbound stop was 50th Street.... |
terminal spur | June 16, 1924 | ||
| 50th Street 50th Street (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) 50th Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had two tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was 42nd Street. For some trains, the next northbound stop was 58th Street... |
all | December 4, 1938 | ||
| 42nd Street 42nd Street (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) 42nd Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had 2 tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was 38th Street. The next northbound stop was 50th Street.... |
all | December 4, 1938 | ||
| 38th Street 38th Street (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) 38th Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had two tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It opened in late 1913, as an infill station and closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was 33rd Street. The next... |
all | 1913 | December 4, 1938 | |
| 33rd Street 33rd Street (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) 33rd Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had two tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was 28th Street. The next northbound stop was 38th Street.... |
all | December 4, 1938 | ||
| 28th Street 28th Street (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) 28th Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had two tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was 23rd Street. The next northbound stop was 33rd Street.... |
all | December 4, 1938 | ||
| 23rd Street 23rd Street (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) 23rd Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had two tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was 18th Street. The next northbound stop was 28th Street.... |
all | December 4, 1938 | ||
| 18th Street 18th Street (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) 18th Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had two tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was 14th Street. The next northbound stop was 23rd Street.... |
all | December 4, 1938 | ||
| 14th Street 14th Street (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) 14th Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had two tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was Eighth Street. The next northbound stop was 18th Street.-References:Notes... |
all | December 4, 1938 | ||
| Eighth Street | all | December 4, 1938 | ||
| Bleecker Street Bleecker Street (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) Bleecker Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had 2 tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was Grand Street. The next northbound stop was Eighth Street.... |
all | December 4, 1938 | ||
| Grand Street Grand Street (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) Grand Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had two tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was Franklin Street. The next northbound stop was Bleecker Street.... |
all | December 4, 1938 | ||
| Franklin Street Franklin Street (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) Franklin Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan, New York City. It had two tracks and two side platforms, but may have been four tracks wide, as there are tail tracks south of the station. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on... |
local | December 4, 1938 | ||
| Chambers Street Chambers Street (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) Chambers Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had two tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was Park Place. The next northbound stop was Franklin Street.... |
all | December 4, 1938 | ||
| Park Place Park Place (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) Park Place was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had 2 tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was Cortlandt Street for local trains, and Battery Place for express trains. The... |
all | December 4, 1938 | ||
| Cortlandt Street Cortlandt Street (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) Cortlandt Street was a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had 3 tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was Rector Street. The next northbound stop was Park Place.... |
local | December 4, 1938 | ||
| Rector Street Rector Street (IRT Sixth Avenue Line) Rector Streetwas a station on the demolished IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It had 3 tracks and two side platforms. It was served by trains from the IRT Sixth Avenue Line. It closed on December 4, 1938. The next southbound stop was Battery Place on the IRT Ninth Avenue Line. The next northbound stop was... |
local | December 4, 1938 | ||
| merge into IRT Ninth Avenue Line IRT Ninth Avenue Line The IRT Ninth Avenue Line, often called the Ninth Avenue El, was the first elevated railway in New York City. It opened in 1868 as the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, a cable-hauled line. It ceased operation in 1940.... |
||||
| Battery Place Battery Place (IRT Ninth Avenue Line) Battery Place was a station on the long-demolished Ninth Avenue and Sixth Avenue elevated train lines in New York City. It was located at the southern terminus of Greenwich Street at the north end of Battery Park.... |
all | June 11, 1940 | ||
| South Ferry | all | various ferries (see South Ferry) | ||
