South Ferry contains the only surviving original IRT control tower in the New York City Subway system.
The control tower is associated with the original South Ferry station, which opened in 1905 as part of the IRT’s early downtown network. It helped regulate train movements at the terminal, where the line’s tight curves and loop tracks required careful control.
The original South Ferry station used two loop platforms rather than a conventional straight terminal arrangement. The inner loop served the newer Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line, while the outer loop belonged to the Lexington Avenue Line. The older outer-loop station closed in 2009 when a new terminal opened.
Hurricane Sandy flooded the newer South Ferry terminal in 2012, leading to restoration of the old station for temporary service. The original station is often confused with the historic City Hall station, which is famous for its architecture and closed in 1945. South Ferry’s surviving control tower is a separate operational artifact from the City Hall station’s decorative interior.