Central Terminal reaches 75
Supporters unveil plaque, time capsule and surprise
By MARK SOMMER
News Staff Reporter
6/23/2004
Supporters of the Central Terminal unveiled a plaque and time capsule Tuesday
to commemorate the 75th birthday of the much beloved former train station.
But they saved their biggest surprise for last.
Russell Pawlak, president of the all-volunteer Central Terminal Restoration Corp., pulled back a cover to reveal a stuffed bison that last stood in the concourse in 1945.
"For all our grandfathers and uncles who went off to the Second World War, this is the guy they looked in the eyes before they left," Pawlak said. "He was the rendezvous point in Buffalo. People would say, "Meet me at the bison.' "
A little digging by board member Sara Etten succeeded in locating the buffalo - which was treated with arsenic many years ago to keep it preserved - in a Buffalo Museum of Science storage room.
"He never belonged to the terminal," Pawlak explained. "He was always the property of the Museum of Science. They put him here to say, "Hey come and see the museum.' "
June 22 marked the day in 1929 that the New York Central Terminal - with its 17-story clock tower and grand barrel vault - opened. Designed by noted railroad architects Fellheimer and Wagner, the art deco station handled 200 passenger trains daily in its heyday. After rail travel fell into decline in the decades following World War II, Conrail sold the station to private owners in 1979.
The Central Terminal Restoration Corp. acquired the long-dormant structure in 1997, after a series of private owners stripped the building of its ornate decorations and allowed the building to deteriorate.
A $1 million grant from Erie County paid for removing more than 300 tons of debris and helped seal the building from the elements.
The Central Terminal is on the National Register of Historic Places and was named last November as one of New York State's seven most threatened historic places by the Preservation League of New York State.
About 100 people - from Common Council President David Francyzk to a busload of senior citizens from Amberleigh in Amherst - attended the official commemoration.
"A hundred years from now, this is a legacy we are going to leave for future generations," Franczyk said. "And they will say that this generation did a noble thing by saving a great building."
The Fillmore council member said returning the bison to the building has great symbolic importance. "This place has come such a long way," he said. "It's as if the spirit has reanimated itself through all of the activity."
Added board member Yuri Hreshchyshyn: "The anniversary is a turning point."
Several in attendance spoke of the building's sentimental value.
"My parents met here, fell in love and got married," said board member Michael Miller. "A lot of people passed through here before they went off to war, and lives were changed in this building. Hopefully we can save it for future generations."
Harold Conway, who lives in Amberleigh, boarded a train at the station as a young soldier on his way to the Korean War. He remembered the bison that day and marveled at the art deco structure. "It was a beautiful, beautiful building and a beautiful commentary on the 1920s," he said.
A public celebration of the Central Terminal will be held from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, offering a chance to walk through the concourse, eat food from a variety of local restaurants, enjoy family activities, including miniature train rides, and visit booths featuring artists, antique dealers and memorabilia collectors.
Lance Diamond will perform in a free concert beginning at 4.
Former Central Terminal employees are asked to gather at 11 a.m. for a group
photo. Each will receive a copy.
e-mail: msommer@buffnews.com