Probably everyone is familiar with the iconic New York architecture that is Grand Central Station. However, few remember the even more impressive station building, which unfortunately has not stood the test of time. Located in the middle of Manhattan, Penn Station was a colossal Beaux-Arts-style edifice with a massive steel frame and marble walls. The early 20th century gem proved impossible to maintain, and was replaced by the famous Madison Square Garden arena. Now the Grand Penn Community Alliance is seeking to restore, at least part of, this iconic station.
Empire capital
By the end of the 19th century, American railway empires stretched from the East Coast to California. One of the rail giants was the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), whose tracks ran from New York to the tip of Iowa. The problem was that the Pennsylvania Railroad had no meaningful station in the most rapidly growing city in the US. Competing companies were opening ever more lavish stations and underground rail systems in New York, and the Pennsylvania Railroad had to rely on transfers from trains to ferries bound for Manhattan. Fortunately, company president Alexander Johnston Cassatt had an innovative idea.
A colossal station would be built near Madison Square, in the middle of Manhattan, which would later outshine even the rival Grand Central Terminal. What’s more, trains would run not over the river, but under it. Such an ambitious plan involved the construction of several tunnels connecting Manhattan to the rest of the Pennsylvania Railroads track. Cassatt teamed up with the local Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to extend the existing tunnels and consolidate its position before building its giant project.
In 1902, the company succeeded in persuading the local rail transport authority and the town to grant permission for the extensive development. Cassatt argued that a tunnel would be cheaper than a bridge and that electric trains would travel under the river. Standard locomotives could not travel in the tunnels due to obstructed visibility and suffocating smoke. The task of designing the station was given to architects from McKim, Mead & White. This was not a random choice, as McKim and Cassatt were joined by mutual friends. It is worth noting, however, that the studio was known for projects such as the Washington Arch, the Columbia University campus buildings and later the Manhattan Municipal Building skyscraper.
Railway colossus
The PRR bought up hundreds of plots of land around 8th Avenue, ending the Red Light District. More than 500 buildings were demolished and the digging of a huge hole in the ground began. Once the tunnels were completed, it was time for the above-ground station and a few Beaux-Arts-style buildings (mainly the train station and post office).
The colossal building was inspired by both Paris’ Gare d’Orsay and St Peter’s Basilica. Monumental classical forms such as a granite colonnade of 84 Doric columns and a heavy portico with a clock made Penn Station a true temple of the railway. It would not have been the ornate Beaux-Arts style had it not been for the pilasters, carvings and festoons dotting the walls. Interestingly, the female sculptures were meant to embody day and night. Thirteen stone eagles were also placed on the façade.
American ambitions
The station was to be not only a useful interchange centre, but also a display of American ambition. In addition to a colonnade rivalling those in Europe, inside one could walk along a shopping mall intended to rival the famous Galleria Victor Emmanuel II in Milan. However, the showpiece of the station was to be the main waiting hall. Rising 46 metres high, the room was reminiscent of the ancient baths of Emperor Caracalla. The interior was entirely lined with travertine, emphasising the Roman character of the building. In terms of decoration, the focus was on monumental classical forms such as Corinthian columns, Ionic columns, friezes and pilasters. All this was covered by a coffered cross vault.
The departure hall differed significantly from the neo-classical waiting room. A huge steel frame held the glass roof covering the platforms. The PRR and LIRR railways used separate platforms, and the station featured as many as 21 tracks. The hall was intended to be a sign of modern utilitarianism, which nevertheless contrasted with the luxurious design of the waiting room.
For years, Pennsylvania Station also overshadowed the imposing Grand Central Station, and the post office buildings standing next to it, designed by the same architects, formed a whole complex of monumental edifices in the Beaux-Arts style. It is worth mentioning that the building was not to everyone’s taste due to the heaviness of its forms and repetitive ornamentation.
The war against the railway
After World War II, the situation of the US railways became dire. In the past, stations had served as a vital transportation point by which to ship military equipment and soldiers, but the end of the conflict meant a decline in interest in railways. The post-war social model put Americans into cars and later planes, resulting in the closure of many rail stations. The owners of Penn Station had to ask themselves: what to do with such a large station that few people use. Especially as the maintenance costs significantly outweighed the profits.
The option chosen was to demolish this architectural gem. Confidential plans began as early as the mid-1950s, but did not come to fruition. Unfortunately, the next decade brought the doom of Penn Station. Official announcements of demolition were made in 1962, and the year before, The New York Times reported on the owners’ potential plans. Architectural enthusiasts and architects began to protest, but the building’s fate had long been decided. In 1963, demolition of the station began.
The PRR’s rail empire ended in the biggest bankruptcy of its time, with the company’s tracks taken over by partially nationalised entities. Protests opposing the demolition of Penn Station gained worldwide publicity, resulting in the creation of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) in 1962. The list of landmarks created by the commission saved many buildings, but the fight against demolition was particularly fierce in the 1960s. It was in this decade that the first skyscrapers, once a symbol of New York, were demolished. You can read about New York’s demolished icons HERE and HERE.
After the demolition, the famous Madison Square Garden performance hall was built on the station site, but underground rail traffic continued to grow. The interior of the station went underground, where a waiting hall and other necessary rooms were built in a modern style. The focus was on the practicality of the interiors, but unfortunately aesthetics were forgotten, making the station look like a haphazard building from the 1970s. What’s more, the low ceilings and unambitious interior design make the station feel cramped and uninviting.
Chances of a revival?
Today, Penn Station is the busiest station in North America, with more than 107 million passengers using it annually. It is still worth mentioning that the local marble and granite was largely abandoned in the marshes of nearby New Jersey, with only a few sculptures of eagles and women saved from extinction. Traces of the former station can also be found in the basement of the new station and are mainly metal plaques, original tiles or railings.
In the 21st century, ideas to restore the station to its former glory began to emerge from time to time, but the political instability of City Hall made them difficult to implement. In 2025, the Grand Penn Community Alliance (GPCA), together with former NYC Chief Urban Designer Alexandros Washburn, presented a proposal for a revived Penn Station. According to this concept, Madison Square Garden would be relocated to the lot next door and the station would return to its place. The idea is to rebuild the front colonnade and the steel and glass platform hall. The existing station basement would be refreshed. According to Washburn, the GCPA’s proposal would restore the dignity and power of this part of the city. A new yet classy public space could reverse the gentrification of Pennsylvania Station in New York.
Source: Grand Penn, The New York Historical
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