They want to save America’s largest derelict railway station in Buffalo

This monumental Art Deco railway station embodies the tragic history of the American railways. Today, Buffalo Central Terminal looks as though it has been plucked from a post-apocalyptic film, but until the 1950s it was a symbol of Buffalo’s power in the state of New York. However, despite years of neglect, the Art Deco details and the building’s imposing structure have survived the ravages of time, and today organisations are carrying out extensive restoration work to restore this symbol of the city to its former glory. What’s more, the building’s renovation demonstrates that passenger rail in the US is slowly getting back on its feet.

An unlucky building

Although the station’s ornate, imposing structure may exude strength and wealth, in reality the building’s entire history is one of extraordinary misfortune. The construction of a main station for the rapidly expanding city of Buffalo in upstate New York seemed a brilliant idea in the 1920s. The railway had been operating in the city even before the American Civil War, and the rapid industrial growth of Buffalo meant that railway magnates were keen to build new stations for their lines in the city. The problem was that, in the year construction was completed, the Great Depression struck the country, plunging the American economy into crisis for years to come.

The design of the main station was commissioned from a master of his craft. Architect Alfred T. Fellheimer had worked on some of the finest railway stations in the US, such as Grand Central Station in New York City, the first Art Deco station in nearby Erie, and the stunning Union Terminal in Cincinnati, which you can read about HERE. It is worth noting that the architect drew inspiration from the innovative designs of the Finnish genius Eliel Saarinen, who designed Helsinki Central Station and the rejected proposal for the Chicago Tribune Tower.

The project looked very promising. Railway magnates from New York, Pennsylvania and even Canada predicted over 200 trains and 10,000 passengers a day at Buffalo Central Terminal. The station’s architecture was intended to showcase the power of the technology of the time. For this reason, the massive, stepped tower rises to a height of 82 metres. In addition to the stepped design typical of Art Deco, buttresses and geometric patterns are also visible.

The ‘ghost’ station

The station concourse is an equally impressive space. The vaults, nearly 20 metres high, stretch across the 70-metre-long concourse. The floors and walls are clad in various types of marble, whilst the ceiling features Guastavino tiles, which were popular at the time – you can read more about them HERE and HERE. The unique construction and shape of the tiles help to dampen the noise in the bustling hall. It is also worth noting the copper, steel and bronze details, such as the casing of the clock standing on a plinth, the grilles, the inscriptions and the bison statue. In American colloquial speech, a bison is referred to as a ‘buffalo’, although in reality it is a different animal.

Unfortunately, Buffalo Central Terminal shared the fate of all the other magnificent US railway stations from the first half of the 20th century. After the war, passenger rail travel collapsed in favour of cars, and in the 1970s the station was taken over by the state-owned Amtrak. On the one hand, the establishment of Amtrak saved the private railway lines, which shifted their focus to freight trains; on the other hand, however, passenger traffic virtually disappeared from the country. In 1979, the building was sold to a local businessman, and in October of that same year, the last train departed from the vast but empty station.

The businessman, Anthony Fedele, wanted to convert the building into a hotel, but after a few years it became clear that the investment was beyond his financial means. Despite the lack of funds, Fedele endeavoured to preserve the station’s valuable architecture, and in 1984 the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Monuments (NRHP). This listing saved the station from demolition, but despite this status, the building continued to fall into disrepair over the following decades.

Good news

In 1997, the non-profit organisation Central Terminal Restoration Corporation (CTRC) was established; it purchased the station and undertook to save the historic building. However, despite almost 30 years of work, the project is only now entering the second phase of its ten-year renovation plan. The station complex is vast, covering an area of 5 ha. It is worth noting that the site originally housed a mail sorting centre, a coach station, refreshment facilities, ticket offices, railway company offices and seven large platforms. Fortunately, the CTRC regularly receives substantial grants from the State of New York, which means the work is proceeding according to plan.

Once the renovation, costing over $300 million, is complete, the station site will be developed to include offices, retail premises, event spaces, start-up offices and affordable housing. A huge park will also be created in front of the station, and the former symbol of Buffalo’s decline will be reintegrated into the revitalised urban fabric.

It is worth noting that railways in the US are slowly making a comeback, although this is a long and arduous process. In various cities and conurbations, attempts are being made to revive or establish viable local rail services. It is therefore all the more encouraging that light rail and tram systems are beginning to develop in the formerly declining cities of the Rust Belt (Detroit, Buffalo, Pittsburgh). Although trains are unlikely to arrive at Buffalo Central Terminal again, the city plans to allocate $2 billion to the development of the Metro Rail light rail system and the metropolitan railway network. There are currently 27 light rail systems operating in the US.

Source: Buffalo Central Terminal

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