As a city, Mount Vernon is well connected to New York through the Metro-North system. There are three train stations in the city: Mount Vernon East on the New Haven Line, and Fleetwood and Mount Vernon West on the Harlem Line. The city is at the south end of Westchester County and borders the Bronx. In fact, from the south end of the platform at Mount Vernon West, you can see the Wakefield station, the first Harlem Line station after crossing into the Bronx. Wakefield and Mount Vernon are also historically linked – both of their names come from plantations associated with George Washington: Wakefield where he was born, and Mount Vernon, where he died.
Mount Vernon West’s current station building was built in 1915 and was designed by Warren & Wetmore. The New York Central later sold the station building in 1959, but retained ownership of the passageway to the platforms, and the platforms themselves. Today the passageway contains automated ticket machines, and hung on the ceiling has an Arts for Transit piece. The glass and ceramic mosaic sculptures were done by artist Martha Jackson-Jarvis, and installed in 1991. When I was there I think I was so caught up looking at the ceiling I never even went out to see the front of the station – so whenever I happen to stop by Mount Vernon West I’ll have to do just that.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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I recently had to stop at this station and it was interesting that there were so many boarded rooms and ancient doors to nowhere. On street level (under the tracks) are the original stairways covered over listen entrance & exit. Around the corner, the facade of the station is now a grocery store which was really strange to see complete with NYCRR logos.
I go through that station all the time and never noticed the art on the ceiling. I guess next time I’ll have to look up!
I used to use Mt. Vernon West all the time, but now a days I prefer Wakefield. Even though Wakefield has a really sparse schedule, I don’t encounter as much trouble there as I did in Mt. Vernon.
What I always thought was cool about Mt. Vernon though, was the design of the station itself. It’s a shame they closed the street exits (the ones under the bridge) because those would be great.
Did you also know that there used to be a trolley that ran under the tracks there in the 1950s (according to my gran, at least)?