Even as New York City was still mourning the loss of it's majestic Pennsylvania Station, developers were almost allowed to make the same mistake twice. Grand Central Terminal (and it's not a station, so if you ever call it that, expect to be mugged) came THIS CLOSE to suffering the same fate as it's crosstown sister.Set to be razed and replaced with an 80-story office tower, many citizen and preservation groups fought what looked to be a losing battle to save the rundown rail terminal. That is, until Manhattanite and former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis got involved.
"Is it not cruel to let our city die by degrees, stripped of all her proud monuments, until there is nothing left of all her history and beauty to inspire our children? If they are not inspired by our past of our city, where will they find the strength to fight for her future? Americans care about their past but for short-term gain, they ignore it and tear down everything that matters. Maybe . . . this is the time to take a stand, to reverse the tide, so we won't end up in a uniform world of steel and glass towers."
Lawsuits were filed and fought all the way to the Supreme Court, where it was the first time historic preservation was going to be ruled upon. Thankfully, the court ruled in favor of New York City and the was station saved.
I can't imagine a Manhattan without Grand Central Terminal.
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