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42°15′40″ N 71°47′42″ W - 2 Washington Sq.
Brief History
Union Station has such rich history- most of which has been relevant in the past 30 years. Completed in 1911, at its peak, Union Station saw 140 trains a day pass through its railroads. Following years of declining passenger train rates, the station fell into disrepair and eventually was closed "for good" in 1972. Through the years, the once grandiose and extravagant architecture had fallen to ruin with some of the stained glass skylights missing and plaster littered on the ground. In 1992, an group of 250 people, known as the Union Station Alliance, began raising money to restore the historical building and by 1996, plans for the restoration had been put to paper. Finegold Alexander & Associates, Inc., a company known for its historic preservation history, were tasked with the restoration and at the turn of the century, the station was officially reopened to the public after $32 million was raised by the Worcester Redevelopment Authority. Staying true to its original structure, the only changes that were made to the new design were modern innovations, such as plexiglass, that would stand the test of time as well as preserve the structural integrity of the towers.
Architecture
Completed in 1911 by Philadelphia architects Watson and Huckel, Union Station was designed in a French Neoclassical beaux-arts architecture style using terracotta that was very different from the original Union Station that stood metres away from the new structure. One of the most recognizable features of the building are the towers which are a nod to the original tower on the Old Union Station.
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