![]() Thaw after he learned of an affair between White and his wife, actress Evelyn Nesbit. Stanford White whose name continued to be part of the firm, was actually murdered in 1906 on the rooftop of the Garden by local millionaire Harry K. They were most noted for their impeccable work throughout New York City including but certainly not limited to the Judson Memorial Church, Washington Arch, Villard Houses, Low Memorial Library, and ironically, the second Madison Square Garden. McKim, Mead, and White, the prominent architectural firm comprised of Charles McKim, William Mead, and Stanford White, thrived at the turn of the century. It couldn’t be further from what McKim, Mead, and White intended just over a century ago. And then one October day in 1963 came the wrecking ball, and over the course of the next two years the stone structure was slowly dismantled and dumped piece by piece into various odd places including the swamps of New Jersey’s Meadowlands, buried in the toxic landscape one could view from that stretch of the New Jersey Turnpike.Īnyone who has gone in and out of Manhattan by train in the 50- plus years since, has experienced the cold antiseptic look and feel of the current Penn Station…the harsh fluorescent lighting, bland cramped floor plan that spans across a run of establishments meant to distract boredom and consume time and money…newsstands, over-priced delis, Dunkin Donuts, Houlihans, and the obligatory handful of shops that cater to tourism with t-shirts, caps, coffee mugs, posters, pens, and 1001 other objects that read New York City. ![]() It was something that was always there and always would be. 50 years for many people seemed an untouchable eternity. While there was some outrage at the time, most paid no attention to the coming end of their Penn Station. In 1961, the ailing Pennsylvania Railroad announced plans to sell the above-ground portion of its station in New York City, demolish the magnificent structure, and replace it with a glass tower and a sports facility that would serve as the new Madison Square Garden. (Photo by Underwood Archives/Getty Images) Right in the middle of Manhattan, Penn Station has welcomed millions of travelers to this thrilling metropolis. New York’s famed Penn Station as seen from the roof of the Hotel New Yorker, New York, New York, c. It stood east to west between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, and north to south between 31st and 33rd Streets from 1910 to 1963. The old Penn Station was architectural brilliance…a celebrated work of masterful design, enormous space, Doric columns, grand staircases, and granite eagles and angels ornamenting the façade, serving as a welcome into New York City worthy of the gods. That building was the original Pennsylvania Station, not to be confused with the current station that runs underneath the Garden today. Ground was broken for the new venue very soon after the destruction of the Beaux-Arts treasure that existed on the same location for just 53 years. And as beloved and monumental as the place is to sports and music fans, its very existence has been a tragedy to those who can remember the circumstances under which the current Garden was born under. The venue we all know today where the Rangers, Knicks, and Billy Joel remain as franchises and some of the most legendary concerts have taken place is actually the third Madison Square Garden. The current Garden under construction in 1967 The second Garden which opened in 1890 was located up Eighth Avenue at 50th Street. The first location, opening in 1879, was at the corner of Madison Avenue and East 26th Street, an area still known today as Madison Square. ![]() The Garden had previously existed as two other structures. The “world’s most famous arena”, however, is much more synonymous with the venue that turned 50 this year. Madison Square Garden, often known as the world’s most famous arena has been associated with New York City for well over a century. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |