The History of Preserving History: Penn Station rally, 50 years later

Protesters in front of Pennsylvania Station on Aug. 2, 1962.
Photo: Eddie Hausner/The New York Times

The architects Peter Samton and Diana Goldstein can tell you exactly where they were a half century ago, at 5 p.m. on Aug. 2, 1962: out on Seventh Avenue, tilting at windmills.

Pennsylvania Station, the McKim, Mead & White masterpiece, was doomed. They knew it. But they weren’t going to let it go down undefended. With Norval White, Jordan Gruzen, Elliott Willensky and others, they assembled an impromptu resistance brigade known as Agbany, for Action Group for Better Architecture in New York.

On that 86-degree summer evening 50 years ago, commuters were greeted by the sight of more than 100 buttoned-down and white-gloved protesters marching around the colossal colonnade at the station’s entrance.

“Save Penn Station,” their signs said, in nicely formed letters. (Architects. Of course.) “Don’t Sell Our City Short.” “Save Our Heritage.” “Action Not Apathy.”

Philip Johnson was impeccably present, in the company of the peerless Elizabeth Bliss Parkinson, a trustee of the Museum of Modern Art, who would soon be its president. There was Aline B. Saarinen, the widow of Eero Saarinen, who had been until 1959 an associate art critic at The New York Times. Agbany counted Eleanor Roosevelt, Stewart Alsop, Jane Jacobs and Norman Mailer among its supporters, along with many of the most respected names in architecture and architectural criticism ...

For the full article by David Dunlap, click here.

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The firm of McKim, Mead & White is also responsible for another monumental New York edifice: the IRT Powerhouse.  But like Penn Station before, the building's lack of protection as an Individual Landmark means it is constantly at risk of inappropriate modifications and, worse still, demolition.  Learn more at the Save the Powerhouse blog.

Sign on to Help Save the Landmarks Law!

Preservation and protection of our architectural, historical, and cultural assets is one of the most important factors in assuring that New York remains a livable city. Preserving the best of our city's past and adapting it for reuse in the 21st century greatly enhances the quality of life for all citizens. Individual Landmarks and historic districts continue to offer substantial opportunities for economic development, the revitalization of neighborhoods, the stabilization of property values, and the enhancement of the tourism industry.

Last month, LANDMARK WEST! alerted our members, friends and neighbors to efforts by the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) and others to challenge the City's 1965 Landmarks Law. Since our last email, our colleagues at the Historic Districts Council (HDC) have formed a coalition to support the Landmarks Law. Read their message below, then sign on to the coalition -- we did!

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Original message dated Thursday, July 26, 2012 

... Following on the heels of the contentious designation hearings regarding the Downtown Brooklyn Skyscraper Historic District, the real estate lobby organized into the deceptively-named Responsible Landmarks Coalition and began proposing "reforms" to the Landmarks Law. These amendments were revealed at a City Council public in the beginning of May, where 11 bills were discussed that would, if adopted, mire the Landmarks Preservation Commission in complete bureaucratic status and encourage the City Council to reject landmarks designations on the basis of over-exaggerated and groundless financial concerns. 

... HDC monitors landmark issues throughout New York and we can unfortunately report that the environment for preservation activity has definitely turned cold. We are losing properties which should be preserved and even protected sites are getting hammered by damaging and potentially destructive proposals. Think about the proposal for a residential tower 15 feet away from St. John the Divine, a 9-story hotel development possibly undermining the Merchant's House or the demolition of the Corn Exchange on 125th Street.

How You Can Help:

• Sign Up! Join the coalition of those opposing these changes to the Landmarks Law (for individual listing, please fill out the form on the HDC website). This growing list will be used to show City Councilmembers that these "reforms" are not supported by the people in the community. Even if you testified at the hearing on May 2, please affirm that your group wishes to be listed -- we would rather be too solicitous than list an organization incorrectly.

• Save The Date! This Wednesday, HDC will be hosting a rally to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Legendary Rally to Save Pennsylvania Station. We will be gathering in the afternoon on Wednesday, August 1, by Madison Square Garden to draw attention to the continued threat to New York City's fantastic and imperiled historic buildings and neighborhoods. Stay tuned for more details (or contact HDC at hdc@hdc.org or 212-614-9107).

• Contact Your Councilmember! Visit http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml and tell them "hands off the Landmarks Law!" See http://hdc.org/featured/help-save-the-landmarks-law for more details.

We need you. Your community needs you. Stay tuned for updates via email, and visit http://hdc.org/historic-district-15/help-save-the-landmarks-law to share your thoughts, sign up for the coalition and learn more.

GUEST BLOG :: Buffalo's Central Terminal rides the rails to restoration

As reported by LW! graduate intern Kate Gilmore 

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel holidays. We all move to and fro at a frenzied pace and rarely do we stop to appreciate the fantastic structures that facilitate such rapid transportation.

This past Wednesday, as I waited for my train in New York's Penn Station, every corner was bustling with activity. Alas, present-day Penn Station is depressing and dark -- a far cry from the illuminated, soaring space of McKim, Mead and White's original building.

Original Penn Station Interior

However, magnificent train stations still exist!  One in particular that has fallen into disuse and is not well-known is Buffalo Central Terminal located in East Buffalo.  Luckily, I was able to visit this amazing train station during the National Trust for Historic Preservation Conference in October.  Buffalo Central Terminal is an impressive -- both visually and physically! -- art deco masterpiece designed by architects Fellheimer and Wagner.  Fellheimer had worked on the architectural team that built Grand Central Station, and together with Wagner was best known for Buffalo Central Terminal and Cincinati's Union Terminal.

Exterior of Buffalo Central Terminal, c. 1930s.
Source: Buffalo History Works

The Buffalo terminal's construction began in 1927, and BCT opened to the public on June 22, 1929. Just fifty years later, on October 28, 1979, the last train left BCT. The building then went through a series of different owners. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, the building was used as a salvage site. Nothing was done in order to try and revitalize the structure with activities that would make use of the space itself.

Main Terminal in Disrepair.
Source: Buffalo History Works

In 1997, the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation purchased the building and began the painstaking process of restoration. Through weekend volunteer sessions and public activities, CTRC has brought people back into the magnificent terminal space. The BCT is an amazing tribute to the former dominance of rail transportation, and CTRC had committed to work with the structure to ensure its re-use. Visit their website to see the current master plan for the structure and learn more about public events.

So the next time your train pulls into the station, remember that the history of rail travel has produced some excellent architecture -- to be celebrated and used by current generations.

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For more from Kate Gilmore, check out:

The Future of Development on the Upper West Side, July 7, 2011 

From East Side to West Side, newsracks making headlines, July 18, 2011