Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse

Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse
Powerhouse is located in Hudson County, New Jersey
Powerhouse
Powerhouse
Powerhouse is located in New Jersey
Powerhouse
Powerhouse
Powerhouse is located in the United States
Powerhouse
Powerhouse
Location60-84 Bay Street, Jersey City, New Jersey
Coordinates40°43′14″N 74°2′10″W / 40.72056°N 74.03611°W / 40.72056; -74.03611
Area1.8 acres (0.73 ha)
Built1908
ArchitectJohn Oakman
Architectural styleLate 19th And 20th Century Revivals
NRHP reference No.01001256[1]
NJRHP No.1570[2]
Added to NRHPNovember 23, 2001

The Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse, also known as the Jersey City Powerhouse in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, was built in 1908. The powerhouse made possible the subway system between New Jersey and New York for the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad (which became PATH in 1962). It was built under the leadership of William Gibbs McAdoo, president of the railroad. The powerhouse was closed in 1929 and used as a storage place for railroad equipment. In the 1990s, the building was cited by Preservation New Jersey as one of the state's ten most endangered historic sites. The powerhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 23, 2001, for its significance in architecture, engineering, and transportation.[3][4]

It is located near the Harborside Financial Center and Harsimus Cove on the Hudson River waterfront in an area undergoing much redevelopment. Efforts to stabilize the powerhouse from further deterioration began in July 2009 and continued through 2010. In 2011, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey agreed to transfer its 55% ownership of the building to its co-owner, Jersey City, in exchange for a nearby lot where they would build an underground electric sub-station.[5] It was determined that the iconic smokestacks could not be saved, leading to their removal.[6]

The Powerhouse pictured in 2006 before structural stabilization began
  1. ^ "National Register Information System – (#01001256)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Hudson County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. July 15, 2022. p. 10.
  3. ^ Gomez, John K. (December 1999). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse". National Park Service. With accompanying 21 photos
  4. ^ Karnoutsos, Carmela (2002). "Hudson & Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse". New Jersey City University. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
  5. ^ Strunsky, Steve (September 30, 2011). "Jersey City's Washington Street Powerhouse may become new retail, entertainment space". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved December 29, 2011.
  6. ^ McDonald, Terrence T. (March 26, 2013). "Historic Jersey City smokestacks to be removed". NJ.com. Retrieved November 21, 2017.