Buffalo Central Terminal

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New York Central Terminal
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location: Buffalo, New York
Coordinates: 42°53′22.56″N 78°49′49.8″W / 42.8896°N 78.8305°W / 42.8896; -78.8305
Built/Founded: 1929
Architect: Fellheimer & Wagner[1]
Architectural style(s): Art Deco[1]
Governing body: Private
Added to NRHP: September 7, 1984
NRHP Reference#: 84002389[1]

The New York Central Terminal in Buffalo, New York, USA, was a key railroad station from 1929 to 1979. The 17-story Art Deco style station was designed by architects Fellheimer & Wagner for the New York Central Railroad. After years of abandonment, it is in derelict condition, but is now owned by the non-profit preservation group, Buffalo Central Terminal Restoration Corporation.[2] The Central Terminal is located in what is called the Broadway/Filmore district,[3] (or Polonia District[4]) of Buffalo.

Contents

[edit] The Complex

The terminal is located about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) from downtown Buffalo, and consists of several structures, some of which are or were interconnected. The complex was designed for 3200 passengers per hour.

[edit] Main Concourse

The main concourse is 225 feet (69 m) long, 66 feet (21 m) wide, and 58.5 feet (17.8 m) tall (63.5 feet [19.4 m] at the domed ends). The concourse included various rental spaces; a restaurant with a dining room, lunch room, and coffee shop; a Western Union telegraph office; and a soda fountain, along with standard station necessities. Curtiss Street runs directly below the concourse, but has been closed since the late 1990s due to the crumbling ceiling tiles above. The concourse is currently owned by the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation.

[edit] Office Tower

The office tower is 15 stories, excluding the main floor, mezzanine, and observation deck. The 271 foot (83 m) building is owned by the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation.

[edit] Train Concourse

The train concourse is 450 feet (140 m) long and includes 14 high-level platforms. Each platform is accessed by a staircase and a ramp. The train concourse is owned by Amtrak.

[edit] Baggage Building

The baggage building on Curtiss Street is owned by the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation.

[edit] Mail Building

The mail building along Curtiss Street is owned by the City of Buffalo.

[edit] Railway Express Building

The Railway Express Agency was the early forerunner of today's Federal Express, UPS, etc. The building is located behind the Mail Building of the complex and is by far the most decayed building. Trains would pull directly into the building to proceed with the load/unloading of goods. This building is currently owned by the City of Buffalo which has made plans over the years for its demolition.

[edit] Power Station

The first building built as part of the project was a cogeneration power station that provided heat and electricity to the complex, even during construction. It contained three 28-foot (8.5 m) coal boilers. This building was demolished in 1966.

[edit] Former Buildings

Other buildings included a Pullman Company service building (demolished 1966), an ice house (demolished 1966), a coach shop (demolished 1966), and two interlocking towers, numbered 48 and 49, removed at an unknown date. These were torn down to lower property taxes. The complex was designed to handle 3,200 passengers per hour. The station never had a roundhouse, though there is one less than a mile (1.6 km) away. The roundhouse is no longer operational and is just east of Bailey Avenue just behind the Tops Supermarket.

[edit] History

[edit] Planning and Construction

During the late 19th Century, Buffalo had several railroad stations, and there were calls for a single union station. In 1889, a Union Station was proposed to be built on the site of the future Central Terminal, but it never happened.

The New York Central (NYC) had two stations in Buffalo in the early 20th Century: the Exchange Street Station and the Terrace Station. Both of these downtown stations were old—Exchange Street dated to before the American Civil War—and were plagued with downtown congestion.

The New York Central decided to build the new Buffalo Central Terminal 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to the east, in order to relieve both rail and grade crossing congestion and to be more conveniently located for trains not terminating in Buffalo. A roomier area would also ease the transfer of sleeping cars between trains. Furthermore, Buffalo was a quickly growing city at the time, and it was believed that before long Central Terminal's area would become closer to the center of a sprawing metropolis of 1.5 million people. The City was not so sure, but planning was well underway in 1924, despite the lack of an agreement at the time.

The New York Central finalized its decision to build the terminal in 1925, and site preparation began the following year. New York Central President Patrick Crowley hired Alfred T. Fellheimer and Steward Wagner to build the actual station in 1927. The total cost of the project was 14 million USD. Prior to the building of the station, the site was bounded to the south by the New York Central main line, to the northwest by the NYC's West Shore Railroad, and to the east by the NYC's Junction Railroad. When the station was built, the West Shore was abandoned between the NYC main line and the Junction Railroad, being rerouted via the other two lines and the new station. The former West Shore right-of-way is now Memorial Drive.

A grand celebration attended by 2,200 invited guests on June 22, 1929 opened the station. Speakers included Henry Thornton and Frank X. Schwab. Although an eastbound Empire State Express departed the station at 2:10 PM, the train was not a regular one, and was really just ceremonial. The station did not open until the celebration ended at 3:30, and scheduled service began on June 23.

[edit] New York Central

In the early days, the station was served not only by the owner, but also by the Canadian National Railway, Pennsylvania Railroad, and the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway.

When the New York Central operated the 20th Century Limited, Central Terminal was located about 44 miles (71 km) east of the half-way point from New York City to Chicago, and the trains would pass each other near there.

Central Terminal was almost always too large throughout its history. Although it started with 200 trains daily, the Great Depression began less than a year after its construction, and the rise in automobile usage also hurt passenger levels.

There was a burst of activity during World War II when the station actually had a reasonable amount of train traffic for its size. Some trains making daily calls at the station were the Mohawk, the Fifth Avenue Special, the Wolverine, the Water Level Limited, the Southwestern Limited, the Interstate Express, the Ohio State Limited, the Cleveland Limited, the Lake Shore Limited, the 20th Century Limited (engine crew-change stop only), the New England States, the Fast Mail, the Missourian, the North Shore Limited, the Knickerbocker, the Boston Express, the New York Special, the Detroiter, the Empire State Express, the Advance Commodore Vanderbilt, the Commodore Vanderbilt, the New England Wolverine, the Chicago Express, The Midnight Special, the Royal Palm, and the Ponce De Leon, plus unnamed trains to make a total of 152 daily trains in 1944.

After the war, the station again entered into decline, so the New York Central offered the terminal for sale in 1956 for one million dollars. No one took up the offer. A company called Buffprop Enterprises did negotiate a 25-year lease of the terminal in 1959, but it ended the following year. In 1961, train service to Niagara Falls, New York ended.

In 1966, the continuing decrease in passenger revenues caused the New York Central to demolish parts of the Terminal complex, including the Pullman service building, coach shop, ice house, and power station.

[edit] Penn Central

In 1968, the New York Central merged into Penn Central Transportation. Penn Central operated the terminal for three years until the creation of Amtrak in 1971.

[edit] Conrail

In 1976, Penn Central became part of the Consolidated Rail Corporation. These two freight railroads continued to own the Terminal and kept offices in the tower.

On October 22, 1977, Amtrak restored service to Niagara Falls and Toronto via the Maple Leaf. The financially strapped passenger carrier was in no position to rehabilitate Central Terminal, resulting in the reopening of the Buffalo-Exchange Street Station for both the Maple Leaf and Empire Service trains.

The Terminal's usage continued to plunge, leading to Amtrak replacing it with the new Buffalo-Depew station in 1979. The last train departed the Terminal on October 28. Conrail closed its Terminal offices in 1980.

[edit] Anthony Fedele

After closing to passenger traffic in 1979, the building was purchased by Anthony Fedele & Galesi Realty for $75,000. Fedele used the building for a variety of purposes, including gala events, markets, floor hockey games, and more. In 1982, the bridge which connected the train concourse and passenger platforms from the terminal and main concourse was demolished to allow passage of high freight cars on the Belt Line.

In 1984, the Terminal was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[edit] Abandonment

The abandoned concourse and terminal building

In 1986, Anthony Fedele defaulted on his taxes and US Bankruptcy Court Judge John W. Creahan ordered a foreclosure sale. The Buffalo Central Terminal was put up for auction and won by Thomas Telesco, the only bidder, for $100,000. Telesco began the process of selling the architectural artifacts and other items of value from the building. The building was then acquired by Bernie Tuchman and his uncle, Samuel Tuchman.

This period was one of great decay for the Terminal. The Terminal's main buildings were subject to extensive artifact removal. Once a truck was being used to remove ceiling lights when it backed into the famous plaster bison statue in the concourse, smashing it. Artifacts removed and sold included iron railings, signs, lights and mailboxes. Further, the building was not secured, and vandalism was extensive, and even included some arson attempts. It is said that the only thing that saved the building was the fact that demolition would have been too expensive (12 million USD).

Reacting to complaints and questions from preservationists in Buffalo, the owners responded, "If you think you could do a better job, I'll sell it to you for a dollar."

[edit] Central Terminal Restoration Corporation

Scott Field of the Preservation Coalition of Erie County[5] bought the building in August 1997 for the purchase price of $1 and assumption of approximately $70,000 in back taxes. Shortly afterwards, the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation (CTRC), was formed and currently owns the Concourse, Tower and Baggage Building.[6]

The CTRC is a non-profit, volunteer organization whose goal is to preserve the Terminal and help promote it as a viable redevelopment opportunity in the City of Buffalo. The CTRC received money to restore and relight the exterior tower clocks located on the 10th floor, relighting them on October 1, 1999. Also in 1999, a state grant for $1 million was obtained to begin the process of sealing and protecting the complex. The top of the building was re-lit starting on May 11, 2001. In 2003, the building was re-opened for public tours.

Currently, the Buffalo Central Terminal is host to approximately twenty major fundraising events each year. Work continues to progress and new areas of the building are cleaned up and reopened to the public each year. Since 2003 over 70,000 people have visited the building. This is more than the local Frank Lloyd Wright properties of Western New York have had. The building has been a host to tours, art shows, local political events, train shows, an annual Oktoberfest, weddings, as well as a temporary art installation by controversial artist Spencer Tunick in 2004.

The clock in the center of the concourse, sold by earlier owners, was located in Chicago in 2003. In late 2004, the clock was purchased for 25,000 USD through fundraising organized by WBEN and a donation from M&T Bank. The clock was on display in the Terminal during the 2005 event season. In the fall of 2005, it was relocated to the lobby of M&T Center in downtown Buffalo, where it remains on display today.

In November 2005, Red Scream Films LLC shot their first feature film Prison of the Psychotic Damned[7] in the Terminal. This ultra-low budget film details what happens when a group of dysfunctional ghost-hunters decide to spend a night in the long rumored to be haunted structure. A benefit sneak-peek screening of the film with all proceeds going to the CTRC was held June 23, 2006 at 6pm. The film company returned to the Terminal in August to shoot part of their third feature "FrightWorld".

On May 15 2007, the Buffalo News reported that billionaire British developer Bashar Issa is interested in redeveloping the Central Terminal for its original use and has designers working on preliminary plans for the buildings and site. [8].

The pananormal investigators, The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), visited the terminal for about a week in June 2008 and aired their findings on Ghost Hunters (Episode 417 - "Speaking With the Dead"), September 24, 2008. Footage taken during this investigation shows that, aside from the main concourse, the entire complex is still currently in a state of heavy disrepair.

[edit] Statuary

Several notable statures have graced the station's space over the years. The station once had a stuffed American bison in the concourse, belonging to the Buffalo Museum of Science and used to advertise the museum. Passengers (including soldiers bound for World War II) rubbing their hands on the bison caused it to become worn, so it was removed to the Buffalo Museum of Science and replaced with a plaster cast, bronze painted statue. This statue was accidentally destroyed by an owner during abandonment. A bronze recasting from the original molds can be found outside Alumni Arena at the University at Buffalo North Campus.

After the station was closed, the statue called "Progress" was placed in the terminal plaza. The statue is said to have been of Madonna and Child. It was ruined when an attempt was made by the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation to move the statue to a sculpture park in East Otto, New York.


[edit] In Film

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c "National Register of Historical Places - New York (NY), Erie County". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-02-22. http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/NY/Erie/state.html. 
  2. ^ http://www.buffalocentralterminal.org/
  3. ^ http://broadwayfillmorealive.org/2.0/
  4. ^ http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/maps/buf/po.html
  5. ^ http://preserve.bfn.org/
  6. ^ http://www.buffalocentralterminal.org
  7. ^ http://www.redscreamfilms.com/potpd.html
  8. ^ http://www.buffalonews.com/101/story/75981.html
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[edit] External links

[edit] Gallery

The main concourse

Buffalo Central Terminal

Clock

A Concourse Leading to the Amtrak Owned Boarding Platform

Artists and Models fundraiser event in the Central Terminal, 2007
v • d • e
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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42°53′23″N 78°49′50″W / 42.8896°N 78.8305°W / 42.8896; -78.8305

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