[4]: 203–219 [5] Booth and Flinn was awarded the first contract for the line, namely a tunnel under the East River, in January 1916.

[14][15] In September 1983, this station was the site of the arrest of Michael Stewart, a notable case in the history of police brutality.

Its eastern entrances at Avenue A were built as part of the wide scope in the 2019–2020 rebuilding of the Canarsie Tubes that were damaged during Hurricane Sandy, and to improve service for people living in Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village, the East Village, and Alphabet City.

Work on the entrances began in July 2017,[17][18] necessitating the relocation of bus stops at that intersection.

[26][27] In June 2024,[28] the MTA installed low platform-edge fences at the First Avenue station and several others on the Canarsie Line to reduce the likelihood of passengers falling onto the tracks.

[32][33] The eastern entrances include three large works collectively titled Queens of the Night, which depict figures in dancelike poses against a sapphire blue background.

When the artworks were commissioned, Bradford used the L train on her daily commute, passing through the First Avenue station.