New York’s Original Penn Station, with Paul Kaplan
New York’s Original Penn Station: The Rise and Tragic Fall of an American Landmark with Paul Kaplan
January 17, 2024 @ 2:45-4:00pm
In early 20th century New York, few could have imagined a train terminal as grandiose as Pennsylvania Station. Yet, executives at the Pennsylvania Railroad secretly bought up land in Manhattan’s infamous Tenderloin District to build one of the world’s most spectacular monuments. Sandhogs would battle the fiercest of nature to build tunnels linking Manhattan to New Jersey and Long Island. For decades, Penn Station was a center of elegance and pride. But the ensuing rise of the airplane and automobile began to diminish train travel. Consequently, in the mid-1960s, the station was tragically destroyed. The loss inspired the birth of preservation laws in the city and the nation that would save other landmarks like Grand Central. Paul recounts Penn Station’s trials and triumphs in a richly illustrated talk. He is the author of books on Irving Berlin, line-height: 22px Wald, New York in the Progressive Era, Jewish New York, and Jewish South Florida.