A ghost train whistles past. Can you hear it? That’s the echo of the Sumner Avenue Station a place lost to time yet forever etched in Brooklyn’s memory.
Right here on this very spot stood a bustling elevated station. It was part of the BMT Myrtle Avenue Line a vital artery for Bedford-Stuyvesant residents. The Sumner Avenue Station opened its doors in 1889 a wooden platform rising above the city streets. Imagine the crowds the hurried footsteps the conversations filling the air. For thirty years the station hummed with life a vital part of the community.
Passengers boarded the trains heading east towards Broadway or west to Tompkins Avenue. Their journeys were as varied as the people themselves. Some were heading to work others to visit family. Some were escaping the city’s relentless pace seeking a quiet moment on the elevated line. The Sumner Avenue Station was a silent witness to countless stories of joy sorrow and everyday life.
The station boasted two tracks and a single island platform. The platform was constructed entirely of wood. Think of the creaks the groans the rhythmic vibrations as the trains rolled in and out. These sounds were the soundtrack to countless commutes and departures.
Then came 1969. The year of upheaval and change. That year a decision was made. The section of the Myrtle Avenue Elevated between Broadway and Jay Street was deemed obsolete. The Sumner Avenue Station along with a stretch of track was shut down and later demolished. Over 1200 people took that last ride. They stepped onto a train forever leaving behind a piece of Brooklyn’s past.
Today nothing remains of the Sumner Avenue Station. Only the memories linger. But stand here a moment. Close your eyes. Can you almost hear the rumble of the trains? Can you almost feel the vibration beneath your feet? The Sumner Avenue Station may be gone but its story lives on in the heart of Bedford-Stuyvesant.