Vintage Photos: 50th Anniversary of Demolition of the Original Penn Station

Photograph by Norman McGrath

Designed and built by McKim, Mead & White in 1910, the original Penn Station was built in the Beaux Arts style, and it possessed a beauty and splendor that the newer Penn Station, admittedly, lacks. Despite the public outcry, the beloved structure was eventually demolished in October 1963. Today marks the 50th anniversary since the three-year demolition process began.

The producers of the play The Eternal Space, which is about the demolition of the beloved Station, have shared with Untapped Cities a few of the 500 photographs they’ve amassed of the station as it met the wrecking ball. The three first photographs in this article are by photographer Norman McGrath. There will be readings of scenes from The Eternal Space at the Center for Architecture on November 6th.

Photograph by Norman McGrath

One of the eagles being saved from Penn Station. We previously traced the current whereabouts of the original 22 eagles on Untapped Cities:

Photograph by Norman McGrath

Get tickets to our upcoming tour of the Remnants of Penn Station:

Tour of the Remnants of Penn Station
Read about the plans for the new Penn Station, Puns in Penn Station, a play about the demolition of Penn Station, what happened to its eagles, and a guide to quirky finds in the current station.