Bronx Park Terminal

Bronx Park Terminal was a terminal station on the demolished IRT Third Avenue Line in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City. The station was located adjacent to Bronx Park and the New York Botanical Garden at 198th Street between Webster Avenue and Southern Boulevard, in the approximate location of the modern Fordham Preparatory School.[2][3][4] It was opened on May 21, 1902[2] and closed on November 14, 1951.[5] The next southbound stop was Fordham Road – 190th Street.[3]

 Bronx Park Terminal
 
Former New York City Subway station
Station statistics
Address198th Street near Southern Boulevard
(near today's Prep Field)
Bronx, New York
BoroughThe Bronx
LocaleBedford Park, Bronx Park
Coordinates40°51′59″N 73°53′6″W
DivisionA (IRT)[1]
ServicesIRT Third Avenue Line
Botanical Gardens Spur (1920–1951)
StructureElevated
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks3
Other information
OpenedMay 21, 1902 (May 21, 1902)
ClosedNovember 14, 1951 (November 14, 1951)
Station succession
Next northTerminus
Next southFordham Road – 190th Street
Location
Bronx Park Terminal is located in New York City Subway
Bronx Park Terminal
Bronx Park Terminal is located in New York City
Bronx Park Terminal
Bronx Park Terminal is located in New York
Bronx Park Terminal
Street map

Station service legend
Symbol Description
Stops all times Stops in station at all times
Stops all times except late nights Stops all times except late nights
Stops late nights only Stops late nights only
Stops late nights and weekends Stops late nights and weekends only
Stops weekdays during the day Stops weekdays during the day
Stops weekends during the day Stops weekends during the day
Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction
Stops all times except weekdays in the peak direction Stops all times except weekdays in the peak direction
Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction Stops all times except nights and rush hours in the peak direction
Stops rush hours only Stops rush hours only
Stops rush hours in the peak direction only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
Station closed Station is closed
(Details about time periods)

History

The station was built as a one stop extension from Fordham Road – 190th Street (then called Pelham Avenue) to provide direct service to Bronx Park, particularly the New York Botanical Garden. It was located on a 2,200 x 50 foot tract of land on the western edge of the campus of St. John's College (now the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University), purchased from the college by the Manhattan Railway Company.[2][6][7] This characteristic was shared with much of Bronx Park, particularly the Bronx Zoo and Botanical Garden which were also built on former Fordham property.[8]

The station was the northern terminal for all Third Avenue Line trains until an extension north of Fordham Road on a separate right-of-way along Webster Avenue to Gun Hill Road was completed on October 4, 1920, which included a station at nearby 200th Street (now Bedford Park Boulevard).[9] Due to reduced patronage at the station, beginning in 1948 no service ran to or from Bronx Park between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.[10] The station was closed entirely in 1951, and the entire structure was demolished by 1952. Afterwards, the right-of-way of the stub line was re-purchased by Fordham University for $55,000.[11]

Station layout

The station had three tracks, the easternmost two of which were served by one island platform. The westernmost track had no platform and was used for storage. Following the extension of the line on Webster Avenue, Bronx Park became a stub-end station separate from the mainline. During this time, trains from Fordham Road either terminated at Bronx Park, or bypassed the station towards Gun Hill Road.[3][9]

The station had a wide, covered wooden bridge across the tracks of the New York Central Railroad's New York and Harlem Railroad (now the Harlem Line of the Metro-North Railroad), permitting access to Fordham University and the New York Botanical Garden at Southern Blvd to the east, and to the Bedford Park neighborhood to the west.[2][6]

References
  1. "Glossary". Second Avenue Subway Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) (PDF). Vol. 1. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. March 4, 2003. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  2. "Harlem and the Bronx". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 19, 1902. p. 9. Retrieved September 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "The 3rd Avenue Corridor". The Bronx Journal. March 27, 2013. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  4. "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Van Cortlandt Park / NY Botanical Garden" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  5. New York's El Lines 1867-1955 Electric Railroaders Assn Dec 1956, Bulletin #25
  6. "Elevated Road Extension: Manhattan Company to Land Passengers in Bronx Park at the Botanical Gardens" (PDF). The New York Times. January 30, 1902. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  7. Sparberg, Andrew J. (October 1, 2014). "13". From a Nickel to a Token: The Journey from Board of Transportation to MTA. Fordham University Press. pp. 111–116. ISBN 978-0-8232-6190-1.
  8. Osterhout, Jacob E. (November 13, 2009). "The Bronx Zoo turns 110: Here are 110 things you need to know about this NYC favorite". Daily News (New York). Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  9. "Publiv Service Commission Fixes July 15 For Opening of the New Seventh and Lexington Avenue Subway Lines" (PDF). The New York Times. May 19, 1918. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  10. "'El' Station to Close at Night" (PDF). The New York Times. November 10, 1948. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  11. "City Auctions Two Plots: Property in Brooklyn and Bronx Is Sold for $155,000" (PDF). The New York Times. June 28, 1952. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
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