The station’s owner, Pennsylvania Railroad, was losing tens of millions of dollars and wanted to take advantage of eight acres of pricey Midtown real estate. Cars were now a popular way to get around. On opening day, more than 100,000 people stopped and stared at every detail of the magnificent structure.įor the next 50 years, millions would come and go through Pennsylvania Station, never thinking that one day, the grand building that was built to last forever would be torn down.įewer people used the station since its peak in 1945. The station was modeled after ancient Roman baths of Caracalla. Light poured in through its 150-foot-high vaulted ceilings and over its wrought-iron staircases. ![]() The front had 53-foot-tall pink Doric columns. The granite and marble building was so huge that the stone eagles guarding the top looked like pigeons, but each weighed nearly three tons. It dominated nine acres at 33rd Street and Seventh Avenue. Penn Station was designed by architect Charles McKim and opened in 1910. To celebrate the arrival of the two great rail com-panies, twin stations were built blocks apart: Grand Central Terminal and Pennsylvania Station. So the two biggest train companies, the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central, built tracks under the Hudson and East rivers. Passengers were forced to get off in New Jersey and take a ferry into Manhattan. How and why did Penn Station come to be? In the 19th century New York did not have a direct train link to the rest of the country. The terminals were elegant, and none was finer than New York’s original Penn Station. Early train travel wasn’t like the hustle and bustle of today. Here’s a brief history of its life and untimely death.īefore airplanes became the preferred method of travel, trains were the way to go. ![]() New York’s old Penn Station was one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |