Buffalo Central Terminal 75th Anniversary Celebration 6/26

Join the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation in celebrating the terminal's 75th Anniversary. June 26th, 2004 from noon until 8 PM at Central Terminal, 495 Paderewski at Memorial Drive, Buffalo, NY.

Miniature train rides and other activities for the kids in the afternoon, food and drink from a wide variety of local restaurants and Flying Bison Brewery. Buffalo memorabilia will be for sale and displayed by artists, antique dealers and others on the concourse. And don't miss an appearance from a "special guest."

From 4 PM until 8 PM, a free concert, as Lance Diamond helps the Terminal celebrate its diamond anniversary. Suggested donation: $5. Proceeds and donations to benefit the preservation of the Central Terminal

http://www.buffalocentralterminal.org/

-otto-

It should be noted that the ACTUAL 75th anniversary date of Buffalo
Central Terminal's opening is on Tuesday, June 22, 2004. Apparently,
the owners decided to hold their celebration on the following weekend
instead. Probably a good move logistically... but not historically accurate.

Yes, they mention that on the web site...

-otto-

75 years for the big, beautiful behemoth? Thought it was a little younger, makes seeing it much more juicier. I will have to check her out my seat on the Maple Leaf when I ride it in July.

Thanks for the information Otto.

If the walls could talk, I wonder what they would say today. The Buffalo Central Terminal, after standing vacant for nearly 25 years, saw thousands of humans descend on it and wander through its concourse today, not to board trains, but to celebrate the 75th anniversary of this structure, and perhaps to begin a new era for an old friend.

The Central Terminal Restoration Corporation has done a wonderful job so far in removing 300 tons of debris, and by sealing the building against the elements. However there is still a lot more to do.

Although almost every interior window is broken, the combined impression of the huge vaulted ceilings (in very good shape) and the huge arched windows (not in good shape) was breathtaking. The years have taken away none of the grandeur of this remarkable building. People today looked up in awe at the vaulted ceilings and arched windows and art-deco letting, and enjoyed viewing every nook and cranny on the Concourse. The large stuffed bison at the east end of the Concourse has returned

I spoke to people who had been New York Central employees, and I spoke to a couple who had passed through Buffalo Central Terminal on their honeymoon over 50 years ago. I was just as starry eyed today as I was in 1973 when I first walked through Buffalo Central Terminal, overwhelmed by the architecture.

Judging by the turnout today and the reaction of everyone, including myself, people still love Buffalo Central Terminal. Let's hope the restoration continues and this building can again be used and enjoyed by the community.

I was at the "open house"and was shocked to see just how bad the building is. There are no artifscts of any kind left, no usable lighting fixtures, no power, water, or gas, and the vandals (including former owners) had even began taking the marble from the walls. What on earth could possibly be done with that building for any sort of modern use? How would you even begin to replace all the different items taken from, or damaged in that entire structure? With landmark status, I *think* that limits are put on just how much you could alter it anyway.
If you ask me, it's too little, too late. 10 years ago many of the original artifacts were still intact, 20 years ago (and that's not that long) almost all of the original items were there. This new group is doing a great job with what they have left to work with, but where was everybody when the building was still somewhat solid? There's nothing left but an empty shell !
Where's the money going to come from? What do you do with it? There's a reason it was a white elephant from the very beginning-it's way overbuilt and it's 3 miles from everywhere it needs to be, the airport, downtown, or the thruway.
Walking through that building made me think of walking through an ancient Egyptian archalogical dig-the building has long outlived it's usefullness and is now little more than a curiosity-a ghost of it's former self.

-B in B