Who Built Grand Central Station

Grand Central Station, one of the busiest train stations in the United States, was built over a century ago in Manhattan, New York City. The station serves well over 200,000 Amtrak and subway passengers each day with numerous shops, eateries, and attractions in its Beaux Arts structure. Grand Central Terminal’s vast structure, located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue, has a rich past back to its completion in 1913.

Throughout New York City’s underground transit history, there have been numerous key players responsible for the fate of the train station. Back in 1869, the site of old Grand Central Station was a dilapidated railroad depot. Cornelius Vanderbilt wanted to improve on current train travel and capitalize on his existing lines (Vanderbilt purchased former lines from the New York Central Railroad). He hired architect John B. Snook, who proposed a bold plan to demolish the old train depot and replace it with a grand station. Unfortunately, it never happened because of disagreement among the powers at the time.

The project laid dormant until the late 1800s, when William Wilgus of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company revived the concept of a grand depot. In 1903, Wilgus’ dream became reality: the Terminal was officially home to New York Central and Hudson River. The design was a Beaux Arts structure, which incorporated various Greek and Roman architectural elements. The new station, which was christened Grand Central Station (later to become Grand Central Terminal) was decorated with large, white marble blocks and copper, brass, and iron accents.

Contrary to popular belief, famed architect Whitney Warren designed not the overall structure of the station, but rather its interior. Warren, a notable practitioner of the Beaux Arts style, was responsible for many of the intricate details within the station.

Grand Central Terminal has undergone numerous renovations throughout its lifetime and now attracts over 200,000 passengers every day. For over a hundred years, the station has become an international destination and a symbol of New York City. It is without a doubt that the Terminal is owed to the vision of William Wilgus and the genius of architects Snook, Warren and many others who made it impossible for the city to forget about the iconic landmark.