Entering the Wall Street IRT subway station on Lower Broadway at Trinity Church can feel like going into a time warp.
That’s because of the cast iron hoods that cover the stairwell as you descend underground. Decorated in a leaf pattern, the curved hoods date back to the station’s 1905 opening.
The hoods mesh well with the elegant lamp posts and green bulbs on top. I’ve never seen anything like it at any other station, but this National Register of Historic Places document tells me the Borough Hall stop in Brooklyn also has a cast-iron hood.
The wayback machine continues once you get to the platform. On the southbound side, there’s an original wood ticket booth—empty and dark, but quite stunning. The elegant lights, curlycue ironwork, and the slight curve of the booth give it a very Art Nouveau kind of feel.
The photo is an old one from 2010—a subway ride no longer costs $2.25. (Think of it as part of the time traveling effect).
Is the vintage wood ticket chopper still beside the turnstiles? I forgot to look for it, but I hope it’s still part of the station architecture.
What’s the purpose of the ticket chopper? Before subway tokens were introduced in 1953, riders paid the fare via coins. The worker in the subway booth would hand them a paper ticket, and the rider gave the ticket to another employee at the chopper box, which would shred the ticket, according to the New York Transit Museum.
The Wall Street station also features decorative tile work and other artistic embellishments. Riding the subway these days can be a little dicey, but if you find yourself waiting for the 4 or 5 train here, think of your time underground as a chance to step into a time machine to the subway of the early 1900s.
Ephemeral New York 