Buffalo Central Terminal

The New York Central Terminal in Buffalo, New York, USA, 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. After years of abandonment, it is in derelict condition, but is now owned by the non-profit preservation group, Central Terminal Restoration Corporation. The Central Terminal is located in what is called the Broadway-Fillmore or Polonia District of Buffalo.

The terminal is located about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) from downtown Buffalo, and consists of several structures, some of which are or were interconnected. The complex was designed for 3200 passengers per hour.

The main concourse is 225 feet (69 m) long, 66 feet (21 m) wide, and 58.5 feet (17.8 m) tall (63.5 feet [19.4 m] at the domed ends). The concourse included various rental spaces; a restaurant with a dining room, lunch room, and coffee shop; a Western Union telegraph office; and a soda fountain, along with standard station necessities. Curtiss Street ran directly below the concourse, but has been closed since the terminal closed. The concourse is currently owned by the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation.

The office tower is 15 stories, excluding the main floor, mezzanine, and penthouse. The 271 foot (83 m) building is owned by the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation.

The train concourse is 450 feet (140 m) long and includes 14 high-level platforms. Each platform is accessed by a staircase and a ramp. The train concourse is owned by Amtrak.

The baggage building on Curtiss Street is owned by the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation.

The mail building along Curtiss Street is owned by the City of Buffalo.

Building behind the Mail Building that is owned by the City of Buffalo.

The first building built as part of the project was a cogeneration power station that provided heat and electricity to the complex, even during construction. It contained three 28-foot (8.5 m) coal boilers. This building was demolished in 1966.

Other buildings included a Pullman Company service building (demolished 1966), an ice house (demolished 1966), a coach shop (demolished 1966), and two interlocking towers, numbered 48 and 49, removed at an unknown date. The complex was designed to handle 3,200 passengers per hour. The station never had a roundhouse, though there was one less than a mile (1.6 km) away.

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. The building was then acquired by Bernie Tuchman and his uncle, Samuel Tuchman.

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 (12 million USD).

Reacting to complaints and questions from preservationists in Buffalo, the owners responded, “If you think you could do a better job, I’ll sell it to you for a dollar.”

Other facts:

• The station once had a stuffed American bison in the concourse, belonging to the Buffalo Museum of Science and used to advertise the museum. Passengers (including soldiers bound for World War II) rubbing their hands on the bison caused it to become worn, so it was removed to the Buffalo Museum of Science and replaced with a plaster cast, bronze painted statue. This statue was accidentally destroyed by an owner during abandonment. A bronze recasting from the original molds can be found outside Alumni Arena at the University at Buffalo North Campus.
• After the station was closed, the statue called “Progress” was placed in the terminal plaza. The statue is said to have been of Madonna and Child. It was ruined when an attempt was made by the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation to move the statue to a sculpture park in East Otto, New York.

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