The largest railway station in the world opened to traffic on this day in
1910. Pennsylvania Station, more fondly known as Penn Station, was one of
the first grand buildings of the 20th century. The building covered 28 acres of
mid-Manhattan. This cathedral-like structure of steel, glass and Italian marble saw
hundreds of thousands of souls pass through its grandiose concourse, stand at ticket
counters and step to the platforms to make the commute home, or board trains to points
north, south and west of New York City. Multitudes walked through its doors just to
people-watch, or fantasize as they heard the whistle blow and the call, “All aboard.”
This was no
ordinary building ... what stories it could tell! As the decades passed, Penn Station
remained a palace among New York’s famous skyscrapers for more than half a century.
It is said that all good things must come to an end. Penn Station
met its demise almost 53 years to the day it opened as crews began demolishing it on
October 28, 1963. The building was torn down to make way for a new Madison
Square Garden, although the trains continued to run beneath it. And gone was the
grandeur of another time.
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