A control house, within the context of the New York City Subway

New York City Subway

The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...

, refers to the buildings that serve as station entrances. They were built and are still used in locations where a simple staircase or kiosk was not desired. During design and construction of the IRT

Interborough Rapid Transit Company

The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the private operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT was purchased by the City in June 1940...

, the control houses were often the architectural focal point for the system, and were designed by Heins & LaFarge

Heins & LaFarge

The New York-based architectural firm of Heins & LaFarge, composed of Philadelphia-born architect George Lewis Heins and Christopher Grant LaFarge - the eldest son of the artist John LaFarge, famous especially for his stained glass panels - were responsible most notably for the original...

 to be an attractive, exterior feature of the system that also suited their locations.

William Barclay Parsons

William Barclay Parsons

William Barclay Parsons was an American civil engineer. He founded the firm that became Parsons Brinckerhoff, one of the largest American civil engineering firms....

, chief engineer for the New York Rapid Transit Commission, traveled to Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 in 1901 with Charles Lafarge, and was apparently inspired by the ornamental houses he saw used as entrances there. The control houses themselves, like other ground-level structures like the IRT Powerhouse

IRT Powerhouse

The IRT Powerhouse is a former power station of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company. Built in 1904, the "thoroughly classical colossus of a building" fills the entire block between 58th to 59th Street, and from 11th to 12th Avenues in Manhattan at...

 and sub-stations, were typical examples of the Beaux-Arts style.