1907 100th Anniversary 2007 THE WILMINGTON TRAIN STATION AN The railbed has three THE ARCHITECT tracks. Two are used mainly ENGINEERING for Amtrak, the other for Frank Furness, who was born in Philadelphia Train SEPTA’s local service. in 1839, studied architecture by working with pro- MARVEL level fessional architects in Philadelphia and New York. The Wilmington Station is When the Civil War unique in that the rail bed that broke out in 1861, Fur- carries the trains through the ness (pronounced like station is above the lobby. Most furnace) joined the rchitectural em train stations are built with the train 6th Pennsylvania An A G level as a walk-down, not a walk-up. This Volunteer Cavalry. required the architect, Frank Furness, to As an officer, he Designed by Frank Furness in the Gothic A DISTINCTIVE LOOK design supports strong enough to hold the was noted for his The station has the characteristic bold incredible weight. courage and dar- Romanesque Revival style, the station’s unique Frank Furness look of fiery red He accomplished this by using 28 steel ing. At the Battle brick with arched windows and columns that support the iron crossbeams. of Trevilian Sta- elegant terra-cotta adornments. They continue from the train level though tion in Virginia in structure and historical significance are a city treasure Terra cotta is a masonry the lobby floor and are anchored by 1864, an outpost of building material popular in the huge concrete pyramids. Ron his company was United States from the late 19th Edwards, Amtrak’s district Closed area cut off and running By RICK MULROONEY The arched century until the 1930s and is still manager for the Wilmington The station’s out of ammunition, The News Journal windows are a common material found in city Station, says the old waiting construction is strong so he volunteered to Romanesque buildings. It’s sturdy, relatively rooms were n the early 1900s, Wilmington’s Christina River waterfront was a enough to support a six- carry cartridges to in their inexpensive and can be molded made bustling commercial and manufacturing center. Factories and into intricate ornamental designs. story building. unnecessary by them across an open foundries along its banks turned out train and trolley cars, ships and design. field raked by heavy Furness’ style for the station is the 1984 machinery, while steamships carried cargo and passengers up and referred to as Gothic Romanesque enemy fire. He survived renovation. down the Eastern Seaboard and beyond. Revival. The station’s arched Railbed They’re seldom and later was awarded the Con- In those days, the railroads were the primary means of carrying The terra-cotta window treatments, soaring clock tower used today. gressional Medal of Honor , making him the only people and freight by land. The Pennsylvania Railroad’s main north- and ornate details make it an excellent ornamentation can American architect to win the award. south line ran along the Christina through the city, but it had one major example of his work. be found on the clock After the war, he completed his studies and set problem – the tracks, completed in the 1830s, ran at street – or grade – tower’s details. The clock up his own studio in Philadelphia, where his tal- level, and all traffic to and from the waterfront had to cross them, tower, symbol Lobby The station’s ent made him one of the leading architects of his leading to delays and, not infrequently, accidents as trains encountered Support waiting room day. Furness was working at the height of the In- wagons and pedestrians. of the station is beneath the dustrial Revolution, and his designs captured the So in 1901, the railroad began building a three-mile-long viaduct to columns Twenty-eight iron and railbed. spirit of a time of robust growth in American raise the tracks above street level to eliminate the grade crossings. It steel support columns business. He was a massive undertaking, taking six years and costing $9 million hold up the railbed. designed (about $150 million in today’s dollars). hundreds of To cap it off, a new train station was needed. The railroad turned office build- to Frank Furness. He already had designed hundreds of stations, BY THE ings, muse- including the rival Baltimore & Ohio Railroad’s Water Street ums and Station, which stands today not 100 yards from the Wilmington NUMBERS homes and station. Next to the site, another Furness-designed made a spe- building was about to rise, the Pennsylvania cialty of de- Building, to house the railroad’s local offices, and 11 signing sta- the architect chose similar materials for both. 2006 rank of station Starting on a strong foundation of cut granite, tions for among Amtrak’s busiest Furness erected a red-brick and terra-cotta station three of the with a distinctive clock tower and window arches in country’s a style called Gothic Romanesque Revival. biggest rail- The most remarkable feature of the station is the 100+ roads – the main floor, which Furness placed beneath the tracks. Amtrak and SEPTA Pennsylva- Passengers could hear – and feel – the power of the trains as trains arriving and nia, the Read- they arrived and departed. It’s believed to be the only station departing each day ing and the in the country with trains running over the waiting room. Baltimore & For Furness, the issue was movement, said Michael J. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Ohio. Lewis, a biographer of Furness who teaches at Williams Train 2,000+ Arts in Philadelphia. After his College in Massachusetts. By placing the visitor under the level Passengers arriving and death in 1912, Ipath of the train, he was engaging him in the whole idea of departing each weekday his sometimes outlandish-looking buildings fell travel. He wanted to make people physically aware of the out of favor, and many were demolished. But his power of the trains. The interior also shows off influence continued to be seen in the work of his Furness’ emphasis on strength and power. Look up 712,000 student Louis Sullivan, who many consider the at the ceiling and you see the massive iron girders Passengers arriving and father of the American skyscraper, and in Sulli- supporting the structure. Another architect would departing each year van’s most famous student, Frank Lloyd Wright. have hidden them, but Furness emphasized them Today, Furness’ particular genius is again rec- and even had the rivets holding the girders together The exposed ognized, and his surviving buildings, including arranged in decorative patterns like sequins, Lewis said. iron crossbeams 1,148 the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in The first train left the unfinished station in January are visible in the Brick Delawareans employed Philadelphia, are revered as landmarks. 1907. It was another year before the station was completed. lobby ceiling. covers Glass and Viaduct over by Amtrak in 2006 Other surviving Delaware buildings he de- In those days, the main floor was devoted mostly to freight the steel and baggage, and passengers, who arrived by horse and metal canopy signed include the Central National Bank at French Street carriage or trolley, entered from supports. Sixth and Market streets in Wilmington (now the The Pennsylvania Building Front Street. They took the stairs TIMELINE Kuumba Academy Charter School) and the Old Completed in 1905, it is now to track level, where large Lobby Library Museum in New Castle. occupied by ING Direct. waiting rooms – separate level 1837: Philadelphia, ones for men and women – Wilmington & Baltimore sheltered them as they Railroad completes street- waited for their trains. level rail line along Over the years, as The columns for Christina River through automobiles, trucks and the canopy are Wilmington. THE FURNESS airplanes eclipsed trains for travel topped with an and freight, the station also declined, intricate design. 1873: Pennsylvania RAILROAD but it remained a vital link in the Railroad begins operations Northeast Corridor line from Boston to over Wilmington line. DISTRICT Washington. In 1984, Amtrak, which had taken over passenger rail service, completed a 1887: B&O Railroad’s $10.4 million renovation of the station. Water Street Station is The train station area Steel built. includes several Furness FRENCH The waiting room was moved to the main floor, support STREET buildings clustered together and many long-vanished details, such as the glass-and- columns travel Front 1901: PRR begins metal canopy surrounding the entrances, were – the station itself, the Pennsyl- through the entrance construction of viaduct vania Building next door, which reproduced and reinstalled. The revitalization of the lobby level and raising Wilmington train now houses the Wilmington offices Christina Riverfront in the 1990s brought more tracks above street level. improvements to the area. ING Direct, the Internet support the of Internet bank ING Direct, and the railbed. MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD banking company, restored the Pennsylvania Building 1905: Pennsylvania Baltimore & Ohio Water Street Station. and the B&O Water Street Station, and a parking Building completed. They are reputed to be the largest grouping garage that echoes the Furness style was built. of Furness-designed railroad build- 1907: On Jan. 28, first ings still standing. Basement train leaves unfinished An organization called the Friends The Wilmington The Furness Wilmington station on of the Furness Railroad District is try- Train Station Railroad level new viaduct south to Cement ing to increase awareness of the cul- The building was District Baltimore. tural and historic value of the train base completed in 1908. ORANGE ST. 1908: Wilmington Train station area by advocating for a Fur- MARKET ST. KING ST. Station is completed. All ness Railroad District that would in- Iron beams WALNUT ST. Brass rails Terra-cotta tiles Stair patterns Radiators Grand staircase tracks are raised above clude improvements to the train station vicinity. Parking garage THE street level. Historical markers at the sites would explain the The parking garage MARKET STREET iver a R architectural significance of the buildings and built in 2005 was designed n DETAILS 1984: Three-year ti s renovation of Wilmington their place in the history of the development of by Tevebaugh Associates i Detail Furness designed r area the city of Wilmington. to complement the Frank h the station first for Train Station, now C To learn more go to Furness look. function, then added Elaborate entrance operated by Amtrak, is www.downtownwilmington.com/FFRD. exquisite detail work completed. Viaduct for decoration. At right The ceramic tiled walls in are examples of some of the French Street side 2006: $10 million in The three-mile-long elevated viaduct was Old station the ornamentation that entrance were placed during federal funding is secured completed at the same time as the train sta- The Baltimore & Ohio The exposed beams’ for future renovations. Sources: Wilmington Train Station, Friends of the Furness Railroad District, can be found around The staircase newel The clock tower’s The step risers on the The majestic grand the 1984 renovations. Tevebaugh Associates, Michael J. Lewis tion. It allows city traffic to pass under the Railroad’s Water Street rivets are arranged in The old waiting rooms the building. posts sport brass roof is patterned main staircase are staircase leads to tracks on streets leading to the waterfront. Station was built in 1887. patterns. have decorative pineapples. terra-cotta tiles. decorated. radiator screens. the train level. Design and graphics by Dan Garrow