Demolition of Old Penn Station: a Defining Moment for the Skyline of New York City

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Demolition of Old Penn Station: A Defining Moment for the Skyline of New York City

Sabrina Debler Senior Division Historical Paper 1,961 words

At a time when NASA was first sending a man into space1 and the United States was in the midst of a civil rights revolution,2 a group of altruistic and visionary individuals focused on saving and preserving historic landmarks in New York City

(“NYC”).3 The 1960s were a time of civil unrest, but also of technological and architectural modernization for the United States. NYC became known for its skyscrapers, a term which “was coined in the 1880s to describe this New York phenomenon”4 when architectural innovation led to the steel frame construction design for taller buildings. Combined with elevator design innovations, skyscrapers led the way for high-density city working and living.5 Some of these new skyscrapers and buildings were being built on land that was yet undeveloped; some of them, however, were being built at the cost of tearing down existing buildings. In the name of this reconstruction, old buildings such as the original Waldorf-Astoria, Stanford White’s Madison Square

Garden, and the old Metropolitan Opera had been torn down, with new ones such as the

Empire State Building and Cass Gilbert’s New York Life Insurance Building being built in their place.6 By 1961, the owners of Pennsylvania Railroad and the investment company that was relocating the then-existing Madison Square Garden announced that

1 “Chronology of Selected Highlights in the First 100 American Spaceflights, 1961- 1995.” NASA. Accessed February 5, 2017. https://history.nasa.gov/Timeline/100flt.html. 2 Eric Foner. Give Me Liberty! An American History. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2016. P. 974 3 Anthony Wood. Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City's Landmarks. New York: Routledge, 2008. P. 99-133 4 “New York City.” Encyclopedia Britannica Academic. Accessed January 25, 2017. http://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/108761. “City Layout” 5 “Skyscraper.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed February 5, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/technology/skyscraper.w.britannica.com/technology/skyscra per 6 Reason TV. “How NYC's Landmarks Act Bulldozed the Future.” Youtube. (2015). Accessed February 5, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc07OPPzo9Q.

1 they were planning to tear down Pennsylvania Station, at the corner of West 31st Street and Seventh Avenue, a structure built in the Gilded Era and designed by Charles F.

McKim in 1910.7 The building’s owners having fallen behind in repairs, were out of money and could not afford the maintenance and repairs to save the building. Efforts to save it were too few and too late.8 The resulting destruction of Old Pennsylvania Station

(“OPS”) in 1963 became a pivotal lesson for the public and the preservationists alike, of the cost to civic history in not having in place either legislation or mechanism by which to protect a building with such history and stature. For a group of individuals9 dedicated to historic preservation, the destruction of OPS became the catalyst for their taking a stand to protect the architectural record of NYC history through legislation, in turn prompting Mayor Robert F. Wagner to sign the Landmarks Preservation Law (“LPL”) that created the Landmarks Preservation Commission (“LPC”) in April 1965.

The destruction of OPS assumes greater significance if seen in the context of

‘traditional’ attitudes toward historical preservation dating back to the late nineteenth- century building boom. During the re-construction phase of the United States after World

War II, it seemed that everything old was just old and everything new was better.

Applying Walt Whitman’s description of NYC following the Civil War, Encyclopedia

Britannica Academic suggests that post World War II, “the city had the ‘pull down and

7 Foster Hailey. "’62 Start is Set for New Garden.” New York Times 110, no. 37,805 (1961): 15. Accessed January 31, 2017. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive- free/pdf?res=9E07EFDD1138E03BA15754C2A9619C946091D6CF. 8 Korda, Leslie J. "Preserving Landmarks.” Letter to the Editor, New York Times 114, no. 39,085 (1965): 34. Accessed January 27, 2017. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1965/01/27/95523447.html?pageNumb er=34. 9 Anthony C. Wood, Pioneers of Preservation. The members of the original committee appointed by Mayor Wagner in June 1961 were

2 build over again spirit’”, which became a New York tradition.10 Among the demolished structures were Columbia’s pre-1897 campus, the old London Terrace, Philip Hone’s townhouse, and the old American Hotel.11 Manhattan became famous “for its skyscrapers, and their height had escalated from the ‘idiotic’ 11 floors of the Tower

Building (1889) to the 20 of the Flatiron (1902) and finally to the unprecedented 792-foot

(241-metre) Woolworth Building, the ‘cathedral of commerce’ (1913).”12 Geoffrey Platt, the eventual first chair of the LPC blamed Robert Moses, the great city planner and master builder of mid-20th century NYC, for his “handling of urban renewal,” referring to him as “arrogant” and “destructive.”13 For all this building activity, the proposed demolition of OPS was just one more among many others. At the same time, to preservationists its destruction was one too many for its time.

Because few legal measures existed to help preserve buildings that contributed to the character of the city’s neighborhoods, all efforts to support any preservations were ad hoc and therefore often ineffective. Largely passed as a response to the threat of destruction of Grand Central Terminal, the Bard Act of 1956 nevertheless only allowed

Robert S. Curtiss, Robert W. Dowling, Harmon H. Goldstone, Luther Gulick, Arthur C. Holden, Stanley H. Lowell, Clarence G. Michalis, McKim Norton, Geoffrey Platt, Whitney North Seymour, Sr., Bethuel M. Webster, Morgan Dix Wheelock, and Frederick J. Woodbridge. P. 9 10 “New York City.” Encyclopedia Britannica Academic. Accessed January 25, 2017. http://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/108761. “Planning metropolis” 11 Reason TV. “How NYC's Landmarks Act Bulldozed the Future.” Youtube. (2015). Accessed February 5, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc07OPPzo9Q. 12 “New York City.” Encyclopedia Britannica Academic. Accessed January 25, 2017. http://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/108761. “Planning metropolis” 13 Anthony C. Wood. “Pioneers of Preservation.” Village Views. (1987). Accessed February 5, 2017. P. 14 http://www.nypap.org/wpcontent/uploads/2016/04/transcript_geoffrey_platt_in_village_v iews_1987.pdf.

3 “cities within New York State to pass laws enabling the preservation of landmarks”14 rather than, in and of itself, providing direct protection for any single NYC structure.

Ongoing efforts at the time were only the doings of a few individuals and organizations who supported preservation, such as the American Scenic and Historic Preservation

Society (1895), the City Beautiful Movement (1890s), and the Municipal Art Society

(1893). But as Geoffrey Platt noted in the 1950s, “there was no master plan, just a lot of activity, and then circumstances that finally brought progress.”15 Without a landmark preservation system in place, government could only intervene at the last minute to provide funding to save a particular site. With the establishment of the LPL, legal systems placed within the government proactively reinforced, and regulated landmarks and their preservation, designating in advance buildings and neighborhoods that would have special protection.16

At the same time that the LPL was in its birthing stage, the demise of OPS was already being planned. The committee first appointed by Mayor Wagner to address landmark preservation held its first meeting on July 25, 1961 and it was not until May 7,

1964 that an initial draft of the LPL was presented to the Mayor.17 Meanwhile, a little further uptown, the owners of Pennsylvania Railroad and the investors in Madison

Square Garden had already drawn up plans to tear down OPS and replace it with a new

Madison Square Garden, a $75 million complex with a hotel, a 34 story office building, a

14 “Bard Act (1956).” The New York Preservation Archive Project. Accessed February 5, 2017. http://www.nypap.org/preservation-history/bard-act/. 15 Anthony Wood. Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City's Landmarks. P. 99. 16 Anthony Wood. Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City's Landmarks. P. 15. 17 “Landmarks 50.” Landmarks 50 NYC. Accessed January 19, 2017. http://www.nyclandmarks50.org.

4 25,000 seat arena and a smaller 4,000 seat arena.18 The plans were announced in a New

York Times article on July 27, 196119 (coincidentally, two days after the first meeting of the Mayor’s committee on landmarks) and were met with mixed reaction by the public.20

On the one hand, OPS was a relic of an age past and the new sports arena was a major economic and cultural force;21 on the other, OPS, in 1910, had been ‘a monumental gateway and entrance’ to New York City,”22 and “intended to symbolize not only its powerful corporate owner but also New York’s status as the most vital city in a nation that was becoming a political and economic superpower.”23 By 1961, many saw OPS as something of a relic that should give way, but some deemed such a relic as valuable.

Leading up to the destruction of OPS, “a group of five twenty-something architects calling themselves the Action Group for Better Architecture in New York, shortened to

AGBANY” organized “a public protest against the demolition on August 21, 1962.24

Reports say, “at least 150 people participated and soon organizations like the Municipal

18 Susannah Broyles. “Penn Station and the Rise of Historic Preservation.” MCNY Blog: New York Stories. (2012). Accessed February 5, 2017. https://www.google.com/amp/s/blog.mcny.org/2012/05/08/penn-station-and-the-rise-of- historic-preservation/amp/?client=safari. 19 Foster Hailey. "’62 Start is Set for New Garden.” New York Times 20 Seymour Jr., Whitney North "Plea to Curb the Bulldozer.” New York Times 113, no. 38,613 (1963): 289, 290, 292, 293, 295. Accessed January 27, 2017. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive- free/pdf?res=9907E6DF103CEF3BBC4B52DFB6678388679EDE. 21 Anthony Wood. Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City's Landmarks. P. 309. 22 Beschloss, Michael. “Penn Station: A Place That Once Made Travelers Feel Important.” YIMBY Forums. (2015). Accessed February 5, 2017. http://www.yimbyforums.com/t/new-york-penn-station/1009/18. 23 Beschloss, Michael. “Penn Station: A Place That Once Made Travelers Feel Important.” YIMBY Forums. 24 Susannah Broyles. “Penn Station and the Rise of Historic Preservation.” MCNY Blog: New York Stories

5 Arts Council joined the fight to save Penn Station.”25 No one really believed that OPS would fall until demolition started.26 Individuals continued to protest but by the time larger protests began to form, demolition had begun rendering any protest futile.27 It was clear to Geoffrey Platt that his committee could not save the structure because “it was too late, much too late.“28 However the loss of OPS “made the public realize that some official measures must be devised to get this situation under control to save buildings from destruction, and to provide an orderly system for deciding what should be saved.”29

The demolition process, begun October 28, 1963,30 and spanned three years, acting as a constant reminder to the committee working on the LPL of the importance of its work. Ada Louise Huxtable, architecture critic for the New York Times, wrote on July

16, 1966,

The passing of Penn Station is more than the end of a landmark. It makes the priority of real estate values over preservation conclusively clear. It confirms the demise of an age of opulent elegance, of conspicuous, magnificent spaces, rich and enduring materials, the monumental civic gesture, and extravagant expenditure for esthetic ends.31

The demolition of OPS was deemed a “monumental act of vandalism.”32

25 Susannah Broyles. “Penn Station and the Rise of Historic Preservation.” MCNY Blog: New York Stories. 26 "Farewell to Penn Station.” New York Times 113, no. 38,630 (1963): 38. Accessed February 5, 2017. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive- free/pdf?res=9407EFD8113DE63BBC4850DFB6678388679EDE. 27 Susannah Broyles. “Penn Station and the Rise of Historic Preservation.” MCNY Blog: New York Stories. 28 Anthony Wood, Pioneers of Preservation. P. 19 29 Anthony Wood, Pioneers of Preservation. P. 8 30 Susannah Broyles. “Penn Station and the Rise of Historic Preservation.” MCNY Blog: New York Stories. 31 Susannah Broyles. “Penn Station and the Rise of Historic Preservation.” MCNY Blog: New York Stories. 32 "Farewell to Penn Station.” New York Times

6 The final trigger for the LPL occurred when the Brokaw Mansion, on East 79th

Street and Fifth Ave became the target of demolition as well in September 1964. There were more public protests.33 However, the Mayor had neglected to review the three-inch thick report that had been sitting on his desk since May of that year, for no reason other than “inertia” as was speculated by Geoffrey Platt.34 The demise of the Brokaw Mansion took a cumulative effect after OPS and sped up review of the LPL.35 In late September

1964, the Mayor handed the landmark report to the City Council and a public hearing was held on December 3, 1964.36 On April 15, 1965, just two months after the start of the demolition of the Brokaw Mansion and before the completion of the demolition of OPS,

Mayor Wagner signed the LPL. The LPL, establishing the LPC, “safeguards the city's historic, aesthetic, and cultural heritage.”37 The LPC thus established is the mayoral agency that, identifies, designates, preserves and regulates NYC's architecturally, historically, and culturally significant buildings and sites.38 Under the law, properties that are 30 years old or older can be protected under four types of designations: 1)

Individually designated landmarks;39 2) Interior Landmarks;40 3) Scenic Landmarks;41 4)

33 Anthony Wood. Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City's Landmarks. P. 333. 34 Anthony Wood, Pioneers of Preservation. P. 14. 35 Landmark 50. On October 6, 1964, the press announced that the Landmark Bill had been introduced to City Council. 36 Anthony Wood, Pioneers of Preservation. P. 15. 37 “Landmarks 50.” Landmarks 50 NYC. 38 “Landmarks 50.” Landmarks 50 NYC. 39 Landmark 50. As of January 2017, there are almost 1,400, including Carnegie Hall in Midtown Manhattan, the Louis Armstrong House in Queens, the Wonder Wheel in Coney Island, the Bronx Borough Courthouse, and the Alice Austen House in Staten Island. 40 Landmark 50. As of January 2017, there are 115 interior landmarks that include the Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia Airport, the RCA Building Lobby at Rockefeller

7 Historic Districts.42 The LPC was concerned with aspects not limited to major historical preservation sites, but extended to architectural features such as window frames and archways in what might called ordinary buildings.43 In some instances, brownstones that were typical of a particular time period made the cut, even if they had no other historical significance.44

The committee dedicated to the LPL took a stand to address the preservation issue despite persistent resistance. Its biggest opposition was the Real Estate Board of New

York (REBNY). REBNY was founded in 1896 as non-profit real estate trade association for commercial brokers and had evolved into a powerful organization with great influence in NYC.45 At the first City Council hearing for the Landmark Bill, held on

December 3, 1964, John R. O’Donoghue testifying for REBNY in opposition to the passage of the landmark’s law, stated that the law had “many objectionable provisions

Center, the Sailors' Snug Harbor Chapel in Staten Island, the Crotona Play Center in The Bronx, and the Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower in Brooklyn. 41 Landmark 50. As of January 2017, there are ten scenic landmarks: Bryant Park, Verdi Square, Riverside Park and Riverside Drive, Central Park, Fort Tryon Park, Morningside Park, Prospect Park, Eastern Parkway, Ocean Parkway, and Magnolia Grandiflora (a designated tree). 42 Landmark 50. Historic Districts are areas of the city that possess architectural and historical significance, and a distinct “sense of place.” As of January 2017, there are 109 historic districts, with 19 historic district extensions. Examples include: Ladies’ Mile in Manhattan, Cobble Hill in Brooklyn, St. George-New Brighton in Staten Island, Jackson Heights in Queens, and Longwood Historic District in The Bronx. 43 ‘NYU Area Photographs’, Regina M. Kellerman Papers. http://archives.nypl.org/mss/18177. 44 ‘Correspondence file with Noel Black for 212 East 12th Street,’ Regina M. Kellerman Papers. An example would be the Brownstones at 212-218 East 12th Street. 45 “REBNY.” Real Estate Board of New York. Accessed February 5, 2017. https://www.rebny.com/content/rebny/en/about.html.

8 which would be disastrous if enacted into law.”46 He was particularly concerned with how the law would define a “landmark.”47 REBNY was not alone in its opposition; others such as Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, the Avenue of the Americas

Association, the Building Trades Council, and the Commerce and Industry Association

(TCIA) were also very much against the law. They shared the opinion of Eugene Rubin of TCIA who was quoted as saying it was, “an unnecessary curtailment of property rights without compensation to the owner.”48 The issue generated a lot of interest with hundreds of people in attendance at a hearing that lasted over seven hours. Although the majority

(including groups such as New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the

Women’s City Club of New York, and the Municipal Arts Society of New York, among many others) was in favor, REBNY insisted that the law “would seriously impede the modern expansion and progress of the city.”49 In spite of all this continued opposition the committee pushed through with their vision and the Mayor stood firm and signed the LPL into law without much revision to the draft proposed at the hearing.50

The existing skyline of NYC is in many ways the legacy of the destruction of

OPS because it was such a symbolic structure and the largest demolition that organizations such as the Municipal Art Society or even the Mayor’s Office were unable to stop. Despite facing many legal battles, the LPC was able to prevent the destruction of

46 "City Holds Landmarks Bill Hearing.” New York Times 104, no. 39,031 (1964): 53. Accessed January 31, 2017. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive- free/pdf?res=9A05E2DF103AE13ABC4C53DFB467838F679EDE. 47 "City Holds Landmarks Bill Hearing.” New York Times 48 "City Holds Landmarks Bill Hearing.” New York Times 49 David W. Dunlap. "Change on the Horizon for Landmarks.” New York Times (1990). Accessed January 31, 2017. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/29/nyregion/change-on- the-horizon-for-landmarks.html. 50 Anthony Wood, Pioneers of Preservation. P. 22

9 many buildings and neighborhoods and at the same time allow NYC developers to build bigger and taller skyscrapers where appropriate. The LPC continues to be successful in balancing the needs to preserve NYC heritage and the driving force for new architectural developments that will some day deserve LPL protection of their own.

10 Annotated Bibliography

Primary Sources

"City Holds Landmarks Bill Hearing.” New York Times 104, no. 39,031 (1964): 53. Accessed January 31, 2017. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive- free/pdf?res=9A05E2DF103AE13ABC4C53DFB467838F679EDE.

This article discusses the public hearing concerning the Landmarks Bill. This article was useful as it voiced support as well as opposition about the landmark law giving more perspective to the argument of landmark preservation.

"Farewell to Penn Station.” New York Times 113, no. 38,630 (1963): 38. Accessed February 5, 2017. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive- free/pdf?res=9407EFD8113DE63BBC4850DFB6678388679EDE.

This article discusses the demolition of Penn Station as well as voicing opposition to the demolition. It also mentions a belief that Old Penn Station would be saved.

Hailey, Foster. "’62 Start is Set for New Garden.” New York Times 110, no. 37,805 (1961): 15. Accessed January 31, 2017. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive- free/pdf?res=9E07EFDD1138E03BA15754C2A9619C946091D6CF.

This article announces the plans between the owners of the Pennsylvania Railroad and Madison Square Garden. Although the article does not mention any reactions of the public, it was useful as it explained the structure of the new Madison Square Garden.

Korda, Leslie J. "Preserving Landmarks.” Letter to the Editor, New York Times 114, no. 39,085 (1965): 34. Accessed January 27, 2017. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1965/01/27/95523447.html?page Number=34.

This article is a firsthand opinion of a New Yorker living at the very time when landmark preservation was beginning and is useful by stating her opinion about landmark preservation.

New York Public Library, MSS Collection 18177, "Regina M. Kellerman Papers, 1962- 2006". These 17 feet of archived files contain the original notes of Regina M. Kellerman as she researched for her doctorate. This file was useful as it contained a case to designate a strip of brownstone buildings as landmarks. This case demonstrates how a landmark also can be considered a landmark by aesthetic values and not just historical values.

Seymour Jr., Whitney North "Plea to Curb the Bulldozer.” New York Times 113, no. 38,613 (1963): 289, 290, 292, 293, 295. Accessed January 27, 2017.

11 http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive- free/pdf?res=9907E6DF103CEF3BBC4B52DFB6678388679EDE.

This article provides the mixed views about landmark preservation. It was useful because it provided an insight into the public’s opinion in 1963.

Wood, Anthony C. “Pioneers of Preservation.” Village Views. (1987). Accessed February 5, 2017. http://www.nypap.org/wpcontent/uploads/2016/04/transcript_geoffrey_platt_in_vill age_views_1987.pdf.

This document is the transcript of an interview between Anthony C. Wood and Geoffrey Platt, the first Chairman of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. This document was useful as it gave a firsthand account of events occurring during the time of the Landmark Law creation from a major figure in the process.

Secondary Sources

“Bard Act (1956).” The New York Preservation Archive Project. Accessed February 5, 2017. http://www.nypap.org/preservation-history/bard-act/.

This webpage provides historical information on the Bard Act and as useful in providing context and details about the Bard Act.

Beschloss, Michael. “Penn Station: A Place That Once Made Travelers Feel Important.” YIMBY Forums. (2015). Accessed February 5, 2017. http://www.yimbyforums.com/t/new-york-penn-station/1009/18.

This article discusses the beauty of Penn Station and symbolic representation it had during the time period it was built. This was useful in discussing the historic value of Old Penn Station to many New Yorkers.

Broyles, Susannah. “Penn Station and the Rise of Historic Preservation.” MCNY Blog: New York Stories. (2012). Accessed February 5, 2017. https://www.google.com/amp/s/blog.mcny.org/2012/05/08/penn-station-and-the- rise-of-historic-preservation/amp/?client=safari.

This article discusses the time leading up to the demolition of Old Penn Station. This is useful because it gives detailed information about the events leading up to the demolition of Old Penn Station.

“Chronology of Selected Highlights in the First 100 American Spaceflights, 1961-1995.” NASA. Accessed February 5, 2017. https://history.nasa.gov/Timeline/100flt.html.

This webpage provided information regarding the space missions during the 1960s. It was useful to provide context outside of New York City.

Cook, William J. “How Preservation Law Lays the Groundwork for a ‘Movement of Yes’.” Project Muse. Accessed January 25, 2017. http://muse.jhu.edu.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/article/610203.

This article provided a broader perspective of landmark preservation in the United States. It was useful to provide a context for the enactment of the landmark preservation law.

Dunlap, David W. "Change on the Horizon for Landmarks.” New York Times (1990). Accessed January 31, 2017. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/29/nyregion/change- on-the-horizon-for-landmarks.html.

This article discusses further changes and opposition for landmark preservation. This article is useful as it provides an account of events as well as arguments from both supporters and opposers of landmark preservation.

Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History, Vol II. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2016; pp. 972-975.

This book gives a broad perspective of other events circulating around the same time as Landmark Preservation. This is useful as it shows other perspectives of that time period giving a bigger picture.

“Landmarks 50.” Landmarks 50 NYC. Accessed January 19, 2017. http://www.nyclandmarks50.org.

This website provides a comprehensive overview of the Landmarks Preservation Law and Commission and was useful in providing the type of landmarks that are used in designation.

“New York City.” Encyclopedia Britannica Academic. Accessed January 25, 2017. http://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/108761.

This article provides a broad perspective of New York City and was useful with information about New York City’s architecture.

Reason TV. “How NYC's Landmarks Act Bulldozed the Future.” Youtube. (2015). Accessed February 5, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc07OPPzo9Q.

This video provides an opposing perspective of how preservation can prevent future structures from being built. This video was useful as it provided a strong opposition for landmark preservations with examples.

“REBNY.” Real Estate Board of New York. Accessed February 5, 2017. https://www.rebny.com/content/rebny/en/about.html.

This website provides an overview of the Real Estate Board of New York. It was useful because it provided information on the history and activities of this organization.

“Skyscraper.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed February 5, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/technology/skyscraper.

This article provides a broad picture of skyscrapers in New York City and was useful in discussing the factors that brought forth the building of skyscrapers in New York City.

Wood, Anthony. Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City's Landmarks. New York: Routledge, 2008.

This book provides a history of the people, places, and other events that took place in relation to the enactment of the Landmark Preservation Law in New York City. It was useful because of its great overview and many details.