The History of Penn Station
1910
On November 27, 1910, Pennsylvania Station opens to the public. It spans two city blocks and features an awe-inspiring mix of granite, steel, and glass. Its main waiting room is modeled after the Roman Baths of Caracalla and features 150-foot ceilings, while the train concourses are flooded with natural light. It is hailed as a masterpiece of Beaux-Arts architecture and instantly becomes a symbol of New York’s status as a world-class city. At its peak, the station serves over 100 million passengers annually.
1962
In 1962, the cash-strapped Pennsylvania Railroad announced plans to demolish the original Penn Station and sell the air rights to developers. In its place, they would build Madison Square Garden and office towers, with a much smaller, underground station hidden beneath the new complex. This announcement sparked widespread public outrage. Architects, historians, and everyday New Yorkers protested the loss of the beloved Beaux-Arts masterpiece, holding rallies, writing letters, and speaking out in the media. Many saw the demolition as a tragic loss of an irreplaceable architectural treasure and a symbol of the city’s disregard for its history. Despite the protests, demolition began in 1963, but the public backlash ultimately helped inspire the modern historic preservation movement in New York City.
1940s-1950s
Following World War II, rail travel across the U.S. enters a period of sharp decline. The rise of the automobile, suburbanization, and the growth of commercial aviation make passenger trains less popular. The Pennsylvania Railroad sees shrinking profits and is unable—or unwilling—to maintain the grand but expensive-to-operate station. Over time, parts of Penn Station become shabby, underused, and neglected, no longer resembling the civic palace it once was.
1963
Demolition officially begins in October 1963, sparking massive public outrage. Architects, artists, preservationists, and everyday New Yorkers protest the decision. Vigils are held outside the station, and newspapers publish scathing critiques. Vincent Scully, a Yale architecture historian, famously laments,
Despite widespread opposition, the protests are ultimately unsuccessful. The demolition proceeds, piece by piece, of what many called America’s greatest public space. The destruction is seen as a cultural tragedy and a wake-up call for preservation.
1904
The original Pennsylvania Station was designed by Charles F. McKim, a partner at the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White—legends in their own time, having received commissions for buildings of considerable consequence from far and wide. Mr. McKim was in fact busy on a redesign of the White House for President Roosevelt, when he was summoned to Philadelphia to meet with Alexander Cassatt, President of the Pennsylvania Railroad, America’s largest and most important company.
