It was constructed after the Pennsylvania Railroad demolished the above-ground portion of their facility at the site, a magnificent 1911 Beaux-Arts building designed by McKim, Mead, and White. The demolition of this railway station in 1961 and the public's outcry led to the city's landmark preservation laws. Thanks to these laws historic buildings such as New York City's other grand railway station - Grand Central Terminal - were saved from the
Entrance to the Garden
wrecking ball.