Summary: 28th Street is one of the sixteen fourtrack local stations that opened as part of New York Citys first subway in 1904. It was this track setup two for local trains and two for express trains that made New York Citys subway unique. Though all of these stations have changed throughout the years, many retain important elements of their original architectural details. Since station renovations over the past century have been sympathetic to the original design, riders today can experience the station as architects Heins amp LaFarge intended when it opened in 1904.While the general layout of 28th Street is similar to other local stations, the station has a number of unique features. The most noticeable of these are the ceramics adorning the station walls. Large faience plaques have the number 28 as well as the words TwentyEighth Street. The use of numbers and words is unusual in IRT station ceramics. The station name is surrounded by a more typical ceramic design. The numbers and letters are surrounded by a Greek key design, with rosettes in each corner, and a foliate design along the top and bottom of the plaque. If you look towards the top of the wall, youll see a ceramic egg and dart terra cotta cornice band. Every fifteen feet are additional plaques surrounding the ceiling beams. The yellow number 28 is on a light green background with a decorative dark blue border.All of these ceramics were made by Grueby Faience Company of Boston. Grueby Faience Company was a favorite of Heins amp LaFarge. In fact, the company received so much subway work that in November 1902, the architects were ordered not to give them any more orders until they made deliveries on those already commissioned. But, as you can see at 28th Street, the company was meticulous in its subway ceramic production. This delivery delay for these large orders was probably a result of the immense popularity Grueby was enjoying at the time. Its Arts and Crafts pottery was highly sought after, especially by two of Americas design giants. Tiffany Studios used Grueby Pottery for lamp bases, and Gustav Stickley used Grueby tiles in his stands and tables.The station platforms were extended from their original 200 feet twice, once around 1910 to 225 feet, and again in 1948. At that time, they became their current length 520 feet. During each of these projects, the subway architects and engineers took care to closely replicate the original Grueby ceramics. The newer ceramics feature white and blue tiled name plates with the 28 and are placed periodically down the platform wall, along with more recent 28th ST signs. Sadly, 28th Street lost one of its most lovely original features. When the station opened it featured a beautiful decorative plaster ceiling. Archival photos show a white ceiling with bands of decorative molding in the areas around columns and along the edges of walls. Today, that ceiling is gone. In its place is a plain painted arched ceiling, similar to those you can see at any number of subway stations.Like many subway stations, the stairways from 28th Street lead both to the street and into a private building. Three stairs lead to the street and one leads into the Met Life Building on 27th Street. New York was already a crowded city when the subway opened, and it was sometimes necessary to have stairwells open into private buildings. It also made sense to do this for the passengers using 28th Street, many of whom would be working in the Met Life Building. In the same vein, in the 1920s a passageway was constructed at the southwest end of the station to the New York Life Insurance building on Madison Avenue in the 1920s. In fact, the existence of a station at 28th Street is believed to be one of the main reasons New York Life Insurance opened its headquarters at this location. The area was an active business district for many decades before the subway opened the subway sustained and even encouraged neighborhood businesses.
