A landmark without landmark protection
McKim, Mead & White’s station had served New York since 1910, but by 1961 its defenders were fighting demolition without the city preservation framework that exists today. Rail service could remain below ground while redevelopment above promised a different economic use, so admiration for the building did not automatically supply a viable rescue plan.
The consequence beyond the site
The station was demolished from 1963 to 1966. Government histories identify that loss as an important catalyst for New York City’s 1965 Landmarks Law, giving the failed campaign an institutional legacy even though the original building itself could not be recovered.