The original Penn Station was a remarkable building, and one that I’ve talked about before. Its loss was a tragedy for New York and certainly contributed to the creation of our landmarks law, even if it was not the sole martyr to the cause that myth has made it. But there’s an important and recent fact that I don’t see discussed much: Penn Station has now been gone longer than it stood. The start of demolition was about 53 years and two months after the station first opened; the start of demolition was about 55 years and eight months ago.
I found this piece by Michael Kimmelman in the Times, “When the Old Penn Station Was Demolished, New York Lost Its Faith” to be sad not because of the loss of Penn Station, but because its 2019 and he said nothing that wasn’t said in the 1960s. Yes, the destruction of a beautiful building that was part of our city in the name of corporate profit was a terrible thing. This was said before I was born.
The McKim Mead and White Penn Station is gone and isn’t coming back. It’s relevance to historic preservation today should be as a teaching tool. If we want to prevent similar losses, we need to approach preservation as part of the daily process of urban development. If we want to prevent similar losses, we have to remind the public that they care about their surroundings. If we want to prevent similar losses, we have too be prepared to discuss practical solutions to whatever issues may arise.
