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From: "Paul S DOT Luchter" luckyshow AT mindspring DOT com
Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 23:56:39 -0400
Subject: What is on the roof of the NY,H&A station, Madison Square???
"MadisonSquare.jpg" - image/jpeg, 146770 bytes, 747x413 (143kb)

What was the tower on top of the NY,H&A Station for?

Here is an engraving printed in the New York Times in a special =
supplement on their 60th anniversary.

The caption reads: "Old NY,NH & H RR Station in Fourth Avenue. Site of =
the Present Madison Square Garden"=20

The New Haven station is the one at right (Moorish style? Venetian?), =
the New York, Harlem and Albany RR is the one behind. 25th Street is in =
the foreground with the horse car parade on it.=20

4th Avenue was where the trains can be seen I think. Madison Avenue =
would be west (left) of the Harlem Station

The Harlem Station (blt. 1857?) became one of the last sites for the =
Barnum Museum [P.T. Barnum's Grand Roman Hippodrome and Gilmore's =
Garden]; later was the first building to be dubbed Madison Square =
Garden. The one referred to here was that built 1890 by Stanford White. =
This 2nd MSG lasted until 1924. The NY Life Insurance Building replaced =
it and is still there today. Not to be confused with the Met Life =
building, tallest in the world 1909-1912, which is south of this =
pictured site, just to the left of the view's vantage point

OK now here I repeat my question...there is a tower pictured on the roof =
of the Harlem station, what was that for. Too early for electric light, =
no radio, not high enough to be a weather beacon for ships in the =
harbor, what was the tower for?

Paul Luchter


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