Grand Central Terminal – Railroads, Engineering, and Architecture in New York City - Softcover

Schlichting, Kurt C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 142141192X ISBN 13: 9781421411927

Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013

Synopsis

More than a history of a train station--the story of a city and an age, as reflected in a building aptly described as a secular cathedral.

About this title

About the Author

Kurt C. Schlichting is a professor of sociology and the E. Gerald Corrigan '63 Chair in the Humanities and Social Sciences at Fairfield University. His book Grand Central Terminal: Railroads, Engineering, and Architecture in New York City, also published by Johns Hopkins, won the Professional/Scholarly Publishing Award in Architecture from the Association of American Publishers.

From the Back Cover

Winner, Professional/Scholarly Publishing Award in Architecture, Association of American Publishers

Grand Central Terminal, one of New York City's preeminent buildings, stands as a magnificent Beaux-Arts monument to America's Railway Age, and it remains a vital part of city life today. Completed in 1913 after ten years of construction, the terminal became the city's most important transportation hub, linking long-distance and commuter trains to New York's network of subways, elevated trains, and streetcars.

In Grand Central Terminal, Kurt C. Schlichting traces the history of this spectacular building, detailing the colorful personalities, bitter conflicts, and Herculean feats of engineering behind its construction. Completed in 1871, the first Grand Central was the largest rail facility in the world and yet--cramped and overburdened--soon proved thoroughly inadequate for the needs of this rapidly expanding city. William Wilgus, chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad, conceived a new Grand Central Terminal, one that would fully meet the needs of the New York Central line. Schlichting concludes with an account of the public outcry that prevented the proposed demolition of the terminal in 1969 and the meticulous 1990s restoration project that returned Grand Central Terminal to its original splendor.

More than a history of a train station, this book is the story of a city and an age as reflected in a building aptly described as a secular cathedral.

"Grand Central Terminal is celebrated for its Beaux-Arts style, but Kurt C. Schlichting looks behind the facade to see the hidden engineering marvels . . . [His] book will deepen anyone's appreciation for New York's most magnificent interior space."--New York Times Book Review

"Schlichting writes with deep understanding of Grand Central's engineering feats and artistic qualities."--Wilson Quarterly

"Schlichting's history of New York's Grand Central Terminal gathers many actors and events into a clearly written and amply illustrated narrative of American commercial initiative."--Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians

From the Inside Flap

Winner, Professional/Scholarly Publishing Award in Architecture, Association of American Publishers

Grand Central Terminal, one of New York City's preeminent buildings, stands as a magnificent Beaux-Arts monument to America's Railway Age, and it remains a vital part of city life today. Completed in 1913 after ten years of construction, the terminal became the city's most important transportation hub, linking long-distance and commuter trains to New York's network of subways, elevated trains, and streetcars.

In Grand Central Terminal, Kurt C. Schlichting traces the history of this spectacular building, detailing the colorful personalities, bitter conflicts, and Herculean feats of engineering behind its construction. Completed in 1871, the first Grand Central was the largest rail facility in the world and yet--cramped and overburdened--soon proved thoroughly inadequate for the needs of this rapidly expanding city. William Wilgus, chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad, conceived a new Grand Central Terminal, one that would fully meet the needs of the New York Central line. Schlichting concludes with an account of the public outcry that prevented the proposed demolition of the terminal in 1969 and the meticulous 1990s restoration project that returned Grand Central Terminal to its original splendor.

More than a history of a train station, this book is the story of a city and an age as reflected in a building aptly described as a secular cathedral.

Grand Central Terminal is celebrated for its Beaux-Arts style, but Kurt C. Schlichting looks behind the facade to see the hidden engineering marvels . . . [His] book will deepen anyone's appreciation for New York's most magnificent interior space.--New York Times Book Review

Schlichting writes with deep understanding of Grand Central's engineering feats and artistic qualities.--Wilson Quarterly

Schlichting's history of New York's Grand Central Terminal gathers many actors and events into a clearly written and amply illustrated narrative of American commercial initiative.--Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians

--Herbert H. Harwood, Jr., author of Royal Blue Line and Impossible Challenge: The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Maryland "The Michigan Railfan"

Edition details

• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 142141192X
• ISBN 13: 9781421411927
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 264