The station was originally built as Arverne for the Long Island Rail Road in 1888 at Gaston Avenue, by New York lawyer and developer Remington Vernam.

[citation needed] Due to a quarrel between the LIRR and Vernam, another Arverne station was built at Straiton Avenue in 1892.

[6] Now operated by the New York City Transit Authority, it reopened as a subway station along the IND Rockaway Line on June 28, 1956.

[15] Trains that leave the station northbound reach the Hammels Wye, where it is possible to head north to Broad Channel (the usual service pattern) or traverse a short single-track segment onto the southbound Rockaway Park-bound branch of the line.

[16] A second exit is located at the west end of the Far Rockaway-bound platform which leads to the southeast side of Beach 69th Street and Rockaway Freeway.

[16] A third exit is located to the west of the main entrance behind the elevator which leads to the Brooklyn-bound platform from the street level.