THE DESIGN OF the 14 Street Station was similar to that of Brooklyn Bridge, in that it had two center island platforms, which are still in use today, in addition to two side local platforms, which are no longer in passenger use. These two photos show the local platforms at 14 Street -- the uptown platform is shown above, and the downtown platform is below. Both had staircases that connected them to the mezzanine, which is still used today. There has been a lot of renovation work lately in this section of the Union Square station complex. Parts of the original local side platforms are now in fact visible through cutouts and gaps in the side walls.

ANOTHER SIMILARITY between Brooklyn Bridge and 14 Street is the presence of the eagle design. However, here it contains the number 14, instead of the "BB" pattern. Two of these designs may be seen in the upper photo, and the same eagles, higher up on the wall, can be seen at right. One interesting note about this station is that the downtown local platform also contained a wreath design with a 14 in it, similar to the wreaths at Borough Hall (opened in 1908) on the 4 and 5 trains. The track level of this station contained only I-beams; there are some round pillars upstairs on the mezzanine level, in addition to square "14" plaques.

DURING EXTENSIVE renovation work at Union Square in the summer of 1997, the structural steel of part of the IRT 14 Street station was visible as the street surface was removed. This afforded a unique view of the station, including a partial view of some of the eagle plaques just described, shown below right. How ironic that these ornaments, hidden from view for so many years, were for some time visible from the street.