Re: (rshsdepot) Major RR Terminals in the US before 1900

["James Kelling" <james.kelling_@_nara.gov>]

I stand corrected about Providence, glad to hear it's still standing! 
Which reminds me, there is a recent book out, entitled, "Still Standing"
about old train stations which have survived.  It's worth a read.  The
CNJ terminal in Liberty State Park, Jersey City, is administered by the
National Park Service; the Bush train shed also remains there.  I can't
think of any pre-1900 major terminals west of the Mississippi River,
except St. Louis Union Station (1894).

J. Kelling 

>>> ribear_@_cox.net 3/9/2007 8:51:43 AM >>>

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Kelling" <james.kelling_@_nara.gov>
To: <rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 4:22 PM
Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Major RR Terminals in the US before 1900


>I don't know of a site, but here are some:
> 
> Providence Union Station (RI), gone

Wrong. The 1848 Providence & Worcester/Boston & Providence/New
York, Providence & Boston station was lost in a fire in 1892; HOWEVER,

the 1896 Union Station built by the New Haven still exists. Amtrak
moved 
to a newly-built station in the late 1980s and the old station was
renovated
with restaurants on the lower floors and office space on the upper
floors. 
One interesting note : one of the five buildings in the complex was
destroyed 
by a fire in the late 40s/early50s. A replica was built during the
renovation to 
restore the symmetry of the station complex as viewed from Kennedy
Plaza.

http://www.artinruins.com/arch/stillinuse/unionstation/ 

Photos 1-3 are of the 1848 station, and 4-14 are the 1892 station
before 
its recent renovation. Photos 15 thru 23 are after the renovations.
Parking
lots and a Marriott Courtyard hotel are located where the tracks used
to be. 
As an added bonus, the section of Francis Street (which used to pass
under 
the station) between the station and Kennedy Plaza has been converted
into 
an outdoor skating rink sponsored by Fleet Bank (now Bank Of America) 
http://www.providenceskating.com/ 

Here's another good picture. The river in the foreground used to be
covered
over with viaducts and parking lots. The eight-floor Courtyard hotel
was built
match the original station buildings 
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Waterplacepark.JPG   

The present Amtrak Northeast Corridor now passes thru a tunnel almost
directly 
under the camera's location. 

Jim.
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