Court Street–Borough Hall (New York City Subway)

IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line platforms

Borough Hall on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line, opened on April 15, 1919, has two levels. Each level has one track with a side platform on the south side. Manhattan-bound trains use the upper level while southbound trains use the lower one.

Both platforms have their original IRT trim line and name tablets reading "BOROUGH HALL" in a serif lettering style. Tablets showing images of Borough Hall run at regular intervals on the trim line. Dark blue I-beam columns run along both platforms at regular intervals with alternating ones having the standard black station name plate in white lettering.

At the eastern (railroad south) end of the platforms, a staircase from the lower level goes up to the upper level, where a passageway connects to the Manhattan-bound platform of the IRT Eastern Parkway Line section of the complex. Also, the southbound track crosses under the tracks of the Eastern Parkway Line, and both tracks become the local tracks for the line.

In 1976, with funding from the Exxon Corporation, this station, as well as three others citywide, received new "artfully humorous graffiti" murals and artwork. Local designer Samuel Lebowitz received $5,000 to "improve the level of lighting in an exciting and light hearted way." Some "multicolored animated neon signs" were placed underneath transparent plastic screens; such signs included "an abstract eye that winks every five seconds" and another that looked to be "blow[ing] smoke rings."

Exits

The fare control for this section of the station complex is at the west (railroad north) end of the platforms. A staircase from the lower level goes up to the upper level before another staircase goes up to the mezzanine. The lower level also has an up-only escalator that bypasses the upper level, leading directly to the mezzanine. A single elevator stopping at all three levels makes this part of the complex ADA-accessible. The mezzanine has a passageway leading to the BMT platform and two public restrooms inside fare control. Outside the turnstile bank that provides entrance/exit from the station, there is a token booth, two staircases going up to the southeast corner of Court and Montague Streets, and a staircase and elevator going up to Columbus Park, the entrance plaza of Borough Hall, on the east side of Court Street.

IRT Eastern Parkway Line platforms

Borough Hall on the IRT Eastern Parkway Line has two tracks and two side platforms. This was the first underground subway station in Brooklyn, opened on January 9, 1908, as the terminal for the extension of the IRT Lexington Avenue Line from Lower Manhattan. It provided easy access to the BRT elevated Fulton Street Line and Myrtle Avenue Line, although a separate fare had to be paid.

Both platforms have their original terra-cotta wall reliefs and name tablets reading "BOROUGH HALL" in sans serif lettering. "BH" tablets run along the reliefs at regular intervals. At the extreme east (railroad south) end of the platforms, where they were extended in the 1950s to accommodate the current standard "A" Division train length, there is a brown trim line on beige tiles with "BOROUGH HALL" in white sans serif lettering. Narrow I-beam columns painted in dark green run along both platforms at regular intervals.

The Manhattan-bound platform has a passageway leading to the Manhattan-bound platform of the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line section of the complex at the east (railroad south) end. As a result, only this platform is ADA-accessible.

Railroad south (compass east) of this station, the two tracks become the express tracks of the IRT Eastern Parkway Line and the two tracks of the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line become the local tracks. As a result, Manhattan-bound trains on that line can be seen from the eastern end of the platforms as they turn away into their own tunnel.

The Borough Hall IRT Eastern Parkway Line station has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since September 17, 2004.

Exits

The main fare control area is at the center of the platforms and tracks. Two overpasses connect the two platforms with two staircases to each of them. On the Manhattan-bound side, the overpasses have full height turnstiles leading to an unstaffed mezzanine and two staircases going up to the northeast corner of Court and Joralemon Streets. On the southbound side, the overpasses have small turnstile banks leading to a mezzanine that has a token booth and two staircases going up to the southeast corner of Court and Joralemon Streets. The banisters on these staircases are made of concrete since they are outside the Brooklyn Municipal Building. The mezzanine has a large set of doors leading into the building (this entrance was closed in February 1996 due to security concerns), a plaque commemorating the subway's arrival in Brooklyn, and a now defunct bank teller window. An overpass between the two platforms connects the two mezzanine areas.

This section of the station complex has an unstaffed fare control area at the extreme north (geographical west) end. A single staircase from each platform goes up to a crossover, where a turnstile bank and two exit-only turnstiles provide entrance/exit from the station. Outside fare control, two staircases go up to either western corners of Livingston and Court Streets.

BMT Fourth Avenue Line platform

Court Street on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line is a local station with two tracks and an island platform, opened on August 1, 1920. Due to the depth, both track walls are curved; they also still have their original Dual Contracts mosaic tablets and trim line. The name tablets have "COURT ST." in serif lettering, and tablets showing scenes of Borough Hall run along the trim line at regular intervals. The western end (railroad north) of the walls are plain white.

Yellow I-beam columns run along both sides of the island platform at regular intervals with alternating ones having the standard black station name plate in white lettering. Some of these show the name "Carnegie", from Carnegie Steel (predecessor of United States Steel).

This portion of the complex is not ADA-accessible as there are no elevators from the platform going to fare control. The elevator from the street to fare control is only for the services at the IRT stations.

To the west of the station, the line goes through the Montague Street Tunnel under the East River to connect to the BMT Broadway Line and the BMT Nassau Street Line. Currently, all trains use the former connection. The latter connection has been unused since the rerouting of the M train in June 2010.

Exits

At the east (railroad south) end of the platform, two staircases go up a landing, where two staircases and two escalators go up to a passageway that leads to the fare control area of the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line. At the west (railroad north) of the platform, a single staircase goes up to a landing where two elevators and an emergency staircase that is commonly opened for public use go up to a mezzanine. The elevator banks here have two pairs of doors to each elevator car. The mezzanine has a part-time turnstile bank and customer assistance booth (full height turnstiles provide entrance/exit from the station at all times) and two staircases going up to either western corners of Montague and Clinton Streets. The northwest staircase has an antique "SUBWAY" white and green globe sign since it is in the front yard of St. Ann's and Holy Trinity Church (the mezzanine has a mosaic sign with the church's name on it) while the southwest staircase is next to the basement entrance of a Kiddie Korner daycare.

Surface connections

In 1916, a single-track counterclockwise trolley loop was built around Borough Hall with both ends at Joralemon Street and access from westbound Fulton Street to the loop and from the loop to southbound Court Street. Passengers on lines that used the loop, Court Street, or Fulton Street could transfer to the entrance of this station complex bounded by those two streets and the loop, north of Borough Hall. The lines that used this loop included:

There were other lines that passed Borough Hall and thus served the station. On Court Street, such lines included:

On Fulton Street:

On Joralemon Street:

On April 7, 1930, the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation eliminated the loop to relieve congestion. Several lines were moved to a loop on Washington Street north of Tillary Street or a clockwise loop on Livingston Street, Court Street, Joralemon Street, Fulton Street, and Boerum Place.