14th Place station
| Company type | Rapid transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad |
| Founded | April 28, 1896 |
| Defunct | December 9, 1951 |
| Fate | Closed as part of CTA modernization and skip-stop implementation |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
| Parent | Chicago Transit Authority (from 1947) |
14th Place was a rapid transit stop on the Chicago "L"'s Douglas Park branch operating from 1896 until 1951. Constructed by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad, it was one of the earliest stations inaugurated on this branch in April 1896.
History
The Douglas Park branch commenced operations on April 28, 1896, making it the latest addition among the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad branches at that time. Among its stations was 14th Place.
On December 9, 1951, as part of a comprehensive modernization effort by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), service on the Douglas branch was optimized through the adoption of skip-stop patterns affecting both the Douglas and Garfield branches. This restructuring led to the closure of several underperforming stations, including 14th Place.
Accidents and incidents
On March 13, 1897, Thomas H. Tyrrell, the station agent at 14th Place, was targeted by two assailants who attempted to shoot him in the head. The bullet was stopped by a wire screen protecting the booth, resulting in only minor injuries to Tyrrell. Prior to this attack, one of the attackers had tried to rob Tyrrell but retreated upon seeing that he was armed with a revolver.
Design and infrastructure
The station at 14th Place included a brick station house designed in the Craftsman style at street level, characteristic of those along the Douglas branch. It featured two wooden side platforms sheltered by cast-iron canopies topped with corrugated hipped roofs, matching design elements found on other lines operated by the Metropolitan.
Ridership
Passenger numbers reached their highest point at 467,877 in 1907, marking it as the busiest station between 12th and Hoyne. The annual ridership stayed above 400,000 until 1911 but gradually declined to approximately 300,000 by 1926, further decreasing to around 200,000 in 1930 and dropping below 100,000 by 1948.
In the year before its closure, 1950, ridership fell sharply to 57,484 passengers—a reduction of 42.47% compared to 99,926 riders in 1949. During part of 1951 prior to shutting down, ridership stood at 40,752, placing it among the least frequented stations on the branch aside from Central Park and Kenton stations, which had restricted access or primarily served railroads rather than street traffic.