Lost New York: 50 Years Since the Demolition of Penn Station
“Until the first blow fell, no one was convinced that Penn Station would be demolished, or that New York would permit this monumental act of vandalism against one of the largest and finest landmarks of its age … ”
- New York Times: “Farewell to Penn Station”, October 30, 1963
To appreciate some of the outstanding buildings that have been destroyed by acts either deliberate or natural, this month we’ll explore Lost New York.
The demolition of the original Penn Station 50 years ago ignited a firestorm.
McKim, Mead and White’s soaring 1910 Beaux-Arts masterpiece was constructed of pink granite with an oversized façade of 84 Doric columns … the magnificently proportioned concourse provided a breathtaking, monumental entrance to the City.
Yale architectural historian Vincent Scully wrote: “One entered the city like a god …”
The dismantling of this grand structure left a deep and lasting wound on the cultural consciousness of the City and became the rallying cry for a group of concerned and passionate New Yorkers. They vowed there’d never be “another Penn Station.”
This citizen brigade became highly mobilized and pressed for new laws to prevent such destruction again. The ground-breaking New York City Landmarks Law was signed by Mayor Robert Wagner two years later in April of 1965.
Since then landmark protection status has been granted to 1,334 individual landmarks, 116 interior landmarks, 10 scenic landmarks, 109 historic districts and 20 historic district extensions throughout the five boroughs.
Roughly 4% of the buildings in New York are currently designated as landmarks.
We’ll discover Lost New York through our Mystery Landmark competition and share some historic photos on Facebook for you to enjoy.
