From Ossie McGennie in the Facebook New York’s Railroads, Subways & Trolleys Past & Present group (hence the watermark) comes this extraordinary glimpse into the past at the 138th Street/Grand Concourse station, which is under renovation with its exterior tilework temporarily stripped away, revealing what’s underneath. I was walking around Mott Haven just last week (on 11/16/19) and didn’t know this was there!
As you can see the station’s original tilework signs, with serif lettering, have been revealed at least temporarily. At least one aspect of the old tilework has never been covered over: the mosaic “MH”s in the ceiling mosaic bands, which of course stand for Mott Haven. You can see them on this NYC Subways page.
I’d say the exposed mosaics will only be visible for a few days or weeks. Who knows, the MTA may choose to restore them, but their standard practice is to stick with the uniform black and white signs used in every other station.
Check out the ForgottenBook, take a look at the gift shop, and as always, “comment…as you see fit.”
11/23/19
9 comments
Meanwhile, not far from there:
https://nypost.com/2019/11/22/straphanger-hit-with-hammer-thrown-onto-bronx-subway-tracks-by-homophobic-man/
I truly hope that the MTA restores the old sign instead of covering it up. I understand the explanation that some straphangers get confused if old signage gets left up but it seems to me that only applies when the old signage conflicts with the new. In this case, leaving the wonderful old “138TH STREET – GRAND CONCOURSE” sign wouldn’t confuse anyone because that is still the correct description of where the station is.
And by the way, the MTA does not always cover up old signs with new. The Briarwood station on the F line in Queens still has its 1937-era “VAN WYCK BLVD” mosaic tiles up even though the signs on the pillars now read “Briarwood”.
You underestimate the MTA’s insatiable desire for standardization in signage! As for Van Wyck Boulevard, the IND Machine Age was all left in place, as has most BMT/IRT mosaic work.
I have my fingers crossed about restoring the 138th St. sign.
That makes no sense. Why would the MTA want to cover up an old, but still useful sign, but leave up signs that refer to non-existent streets? Van Wyck Boulevard has not existed as a roadway since the 1950’s, yet the name tablets are still up despite the station name having been changed to “Briarwood”. Ely Avenue hasn’t existed since the 1930’s.
Does it make sense for stations to have different names on the large name tablets and on the station pillars?
I also saw mosaics that said 138th Street-Mott Haven. New mosaics?
I read somewhere that the MTA has a commitment to preserving pre-existing artistry in stations where possible — they did that to some degree at Franklin Avenue and Canal Street on the N line — and they should do that at 138th Street. Despite their clear wear, those mosaics look better than the wooden signs with black letters they had for many years.
I believe in queens
There’s a lefferts mall stop
That was wiped out by the lie
I believe that the 138th Street-Grand Concourse sign was not actually in mosaics at all. I grew up on that line and could clearly see that “138th Street-Grand Concourse” was painted on white paint that obscured the original signage that used to be in mosaics, obviously “Mott Haven” or possibly “Mott Haven-138th Street,” since “MH” is what appears on the posts of the station.
I continued my google search to discover that the original signage at the 138th Street-Grand Concourse station were, indeed, mosaics which read both “139th Street-Mott Avenue” and “Mott Haven.” Both these two mosaics were the original ones on the walls of the station. At some point , after 1927, both mosaics were covered over in white paint to read “138th Street-Grand Concourse.”