New York Central Terminal in Buffalo, New York.
(photo by sandrajkammerer)
The New York Central Terminal in Buffalo, New York was a key railroad station from 1929 to 1979. The 17-story Art Deco style station was designed by architects Fellheimer & Wagner for the New York Central Railroad. The terminal is located about 2.5 miles from downtown Buffalo, and consists of several structures, some of which are or were interconnected. The complex was designed for 3200 passengers per hour.
After World War II, the station again entered a state of decline, so the New York Central offered the terminal for sale in 1956 for one million dollars. No one took up the offer. A company called Buffprop Enterprises did negotiate a 25-year lease of the terminal in 1959, but it ended the following year. In 1961, the train service to Niagara Falls in New York ended. In 1966, the continuing decrease in passenger revenues caused the New York Central to demolish parts of the Terminal complex, including the Pullman service building, coach shop, ice house, and power station.
After closing to passenger traffic in 1979, the building was purchased by Anthony Fedele & Galesi Realty for $75,000. Fedele used the building for a variety of purposes, including gala events, markets, floor hockey games, and more. Fedele enjoyed the building so much, that he built himself an apartment to live in within the Terminal.
In 1986, Anthony Fedele defaulted on his taxes and US Bankruptcy Court Judge John W. Creahan ordered a foreclosure sale. The Buffalo Central Terminal was put up for auction and won by Thomas Telesco, the only bidder, for $100,000. Telesco began the process of selling the architectural artifacts and other items of value from the building.
This period was one of great decay for the Terminal. The Terminal’s main buildings were subject to extensive artifact removal. Once a truck was being used to remove ceiling lights when it backed into the famous plaster bison statue in the concourse, smashing it. Artifacts removed and sold included iron railings, signs, lights and mailboxes. Further, the building was not secured, and vandalism was extensive, and even included some arson attempts. It is said that the only thing that saved the building was the fact that demolition would have been too expensive, around 12 million USD.