Grand Central Terminal, one of New York City's preeminent buildings, stands as a magnificent Beaux-Arts monument to America's Railway Age, and it remains a vital part of city life today. Completed in 1913 after ten years of construction, the terminal became the city's most important transportation hub, linking long-distance and commuter trains to New York's network of subways, elevated trains, and streetcars. Its soaring Grand Concourse still offers passengers a majestic gateway to the wonders beyond 42nd Street.
In Grand Central Terminal, Kurt C. Schlichting traces the history of this spectacular building, detailing the colorful personalities, bitter conflicts, and Herculean feats of engineering that lie behind its construction. Schlichting begins with Cornelius Vanderbilt -- "The Commodore" -- whose railroad empire demanded an appropriately palatial passenger terminal in the heart of New York City. Completed in 1871, the first Grand Central was the largest rail facility in the world and yet -- cramped and overburdened -- soon proved thoroughly inadequate for the needs of this rapidly expanding city. William Wilgus, chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad, conceived of a new Grand Central Terminal, one that would fully meet the needs of the New York Central line. Grand Central became a monument to the creativity and daring of a remarkable age.
The terminal's construction proved to be a massive undertaking. Before construction could begin, more than 3 million cubic yards of rock and earth had to be removed and some 200 buildings demolished. Manhattan's exorbitant real estate prices necessitated a vast, two-story underground train yard, which in turn required a new, smoke-free electrified rail system. The project consumed nearly 30,000 tons of steel, three times more than that in the Eiffel Tower, and two power plants were built. The terminal building alone cost $43 million in 1913, the equivalent of nearly $750 million today.
Some of these costs were offset by an ambitious redevelopment project on property above the New York Central's underground tracks. Schlichting writes about the economic and cultural impact of the terminal on midtown Manhattan, from building of the Biltmore and Waldorf-Astoria Hotels to the transformation of Park Avenue. Schlichting concludes with an account of the New York Central's decline; the public outcry that prevented Grand Central's new owner, Penn Central, from following through with its 1969 plan to demolish or drastically alter the terminal; the rise of Metro-North Railroad; and the meticulous 1990s restoration project that returned Grand Central Terminal to its original splendor. More than a history of a train station, this book is the story of a city and an age as reflected in a building aptly described as a secular cathedral.
A world of information in 222 pages I found this book to be very easy reading. It compresses just about every aspect of Grand Central Station into 222 pages. I would say that as an overview of how the station was built, for who, and why this is a great book to start out with. For those of us who know something of the building, the book is still very interesting but in the end lacks some of the detailed information that I would have liked to have seen. Still, the incredible lengths that the author goes to in informing the reader of just how vast the Grand Central Terminal is must have been both daunting and difficult to explain. I give most credit to the author for his ability to relate the political and historical relevance of the terminal complex to complicated engineering used to construct it. in essence, Grand Central Terminal in not merely the station we all have seen and admire, but a complex system of real estate and tunnels all with a magnificent Beaux-Arts concourse.
Best Book On Grand Central Yes this book provides an excellent overview of the historical and social context of the building of Grand Central terminal in New York, but where it excels is in conveying the genius behind the engineering of the complex.
That the terminal continues to function so well in the 21st century is testimony to the creativity and forethought of the original design. The engineers, learning from the very short life of the original terminals due to skyrocketing volumes of passengers, set out to ensure that the new Grand Central would be flexible and handle ever increasing traffic. Of course intercity rail travel is almost dead in the US and the premiere passenger trains which called on Grand Central are long gone, but the station functions very well as a gateway for ever growing numbers of commuters to New York's northern suburbs.
Also featured in the book is the role of the terminal's design played in its success. Even today walking through the terminal is an uplifting experience surrounded by the grand scale of its wonderful architecture. The author expands upon the process where the building was designed to impress and create an image and be more than just a functional building. Part of what made this possible was covering over the Park Avenue rail yards north of the station thereby providing the New York Central with a salable asset to fund the terminal. They succeded in creating what still remains some of the most valuable real estate in the City.
Anyone interested in urban history, realroads, architecture or business history will find this a fascinating book. The author did extensive research and has provided new insights into the topic... something not easy to do given the vintage of the terminal and the several books already focusing on Grand Central. Highly recommended.
An excellent blend of engineering and social history This story of the design and construction of New York's Grand Central Terminal in 1913 provides a coverage not only of the project and the ten years it took to complete, but its impact on the development of Manhattan. Any with an interest in New York City history will find Grand Central Terminal to be an excellent blend of engineering and social history, packed with details and vintage photos.
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