IRT City Hall Station

In 1868 a new method for building subway tunnels used a retaining wall to allow construction without damaging roadways and buildings was called Shield Method. Prior to the subway system, elevated trains provided limited mobility throughout the city and were plagued with severe weather delays. The Chamber of Commerce began discussions for an underground rapid transit system in 1894, forming a committee and proposing a bill to the New York State Legislature. The bill was passed and signed by Governor Roswell P. Flower just three months after discussions began. The commission was instrumental in organizing the public support and private contract necessary to complete the subway system’s construction. 

In 1900, the IRT service ran from City Hall to Grand Central when the 1st section of NY Subway opened

Opening Ceremonies N.Y. Subway, Oct 27, 1904, on City Hall steps. On Friday night, Mayor McClellan inaugurated the first subway; more than 125,000 people took a ride before midnight. 1100 people went on the first ride. Someone pulled the brake, mayor Mclallan (check spl) was driving. The tickets cost 5 cents each

ABANDONED CITY HALL SUBWAY STATION - 6 train terminating at Brooklyn Bridge uses the loop to run around to the uptown local track.

The commemorative plaques originally in the station, which had been moved to Brooklyn Bridge station by 1962, were taken back to City Hall and reinstalled in their original positions in 1996. In late 1998, the plans were quietly cancelled, the public were prohibited from riding around the loop, and the Transit Museum's tours of other closed areas were also cancelled.