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Grand Central Terminal: then and now

1903 to the 1920s vs 2007 · New York, NY

Grand Central Terminal, 2007Grand Central Terminal, 1903 to the 1920s
NowThen
Then, 1903 to the 1920sA black-and-white view of the main concourse from the early years. Detroit Publishing dated it only between 1903 and the 1920s.Photo: Detroit Publishing Company · Public domain · Source · cropped and resized
Today, 2007The main concourse and its blue-green ceiling in 2007.Photo: Carol M. Highsmith (Library of Congress) · Public domain · Source · resized

The story

The terminal was built from 1903 to 1913 and opened on February 2, 1913. The Vanderbilt family owned the station. Cornelius Vanderbilt chose the acorn as the family symbol, and you can spot acorns around the building.

Two firms share the design credit. Reed and Stem designed the overall plan, and Warren and Wetmore, led by Whitney Warren, shaped much of the look.

In the 1970s, the owner wanted to tear down the main concourse and build a tower. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis helped lead the fight to save it.

Did you know? The terminal has 44 platforms, with 67 tracks in all. Forty-one are used for passenger trains.
Historians argue about this. Who deserves the credit for the design is shared between two firms, so we list both. Stories about the ceiling stars being painted backwards are not covered in our sources, so we make no claim either way.

Fact or tall tale?

Sources

More: Look for historic photos at the Library of Congress

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Next: Flatiron Building. Written from the cited sources, not yet walked on site unless noted.