The New Haven Line "13 stations of history"

Cass Gilbert 

Should we save the train station ?

History of Cass Gilbert 

- Cass Gilbert was born in Zanesville, Ohio on November 24, 1859. His parents were Samuel Gilbert and Elizabeth Wheeler Gilbert. He was named for a very prominent uncle, U.S. Senator Lewis Cass.

-In 1868, when Cass was nine years old the family left Ohio to join his father, who was working as a surveyor in St. Paul, Minnesota. Samuel Gilbert died soon after the family’s arrival in Minnesota.

-Elizabeth Gilbert made sure Cass and his two brothers would complete the schooling they had begun in Ohio. In 1876, Cass entered an apprenticeship as draftsman in the office of Abraham Radcliffe, a St. Paul architect. This is where he began his long friendship with fellow architect Clarence Johnston, Sr.

-In 1878, Cass entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study architecture under William Robert Ware. He completed one year of the two-year program. In the summer of 1879, he worked as a surveyor to earn money for his “Grand Tour” of Europe.

-On January 3, 1880, Cass Gilbert left New York City for Liverpool, England, with $420.00. For almost a year he made his way through the countrysides and cities of picturesque England, France, and Italy. He sketched architectural features that he would later use in many of his designs.

-Disappointed that he could not secure employment in London, Cass Gilbert returned to New York in September 1880 and went to work for the prestigious architecture firm of McKim, Mead and White, serving as Stanford White’s assistant.

-In 1882, he returned to St. Paul, Minnesota. He represented the interests of McKim, Mead and White in the West and began his Minnesota architecture career. He kept offices in the Gilfillan Block, the same building as his boyhood friends Clarence Johnston and James Knox Taylor who had also returned to St. Paul from New York City.

-In 1883, Gilbert completed his first residential work in St. Paul- his mother’s house at 471 Ashland Avenue.

-In 1885, he formed a partnership with James Knox Taylor. Together their office would build residences, churches, office buildings, railroad stations and commercial buildings in Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, and Montana.

-In 1891, Gilbert and Knox dissolved their partnership. Gilbert went out on his own and continued his St. Paul work.

-In 1895, Cass Gilbert was selected to design the new state capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota. Gilbert knew this would be the job to bring him national attention and would make his architectural career.

-In 1899, Gilbert won the commission for the U.S. Custom House in New York. He opened his New York office and moved there the same year. His St. Paul office would remain open until 1910.

-Gilbert would go on to build many buildings in New York including the West Street Building, the New York Life Insurance Company Building, the New York County Lawyers Association Building, the Brooklyn Army Terminal, and the U.S. Courthouse.

-In 1913, Gilbert completed the Woolworth Building in New York City. It would stand as the world’s tallest building for over a decade. His career continued all over America. He worked on the capitol in Arkansas, and he designed the West Virginia Capitol. His last building was the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington D.C.

New Haven Rail Road Station built by Cass Gilbert Started building in1909-1918 Finished the building 

http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Photos/75001941.pdf

   Cass Gilbert was a great architect, unique projects and many of which were famous, but no one is questioning his greatness. We are questioning the people who named a train station after him, these folks called Amtrak are trying to demolish a train station that was named after him. Amtrak is also trying to retake a train station turned store along with Metro North, are the biggest issues with our community seeing how they are the biggest issue when trying to work on a green way for the community. Cass Gilbert train station currently stands ten feet above ground and has been non functional for about two decades (1988) and it is one of only four train stations that exist in the many network of trainstations on the New Haven line.

From Concrete Plant Park Bronx, NY

    What sets this apart from anything is the fact that it was name after a famous man who did wonders for building for NYC and other states, a guy so famous that the city wold disregard the fact that he had a building made for the US government. I believe that the Station should reopen as a museum and should also be turned into a operation train station for Amtrak and Metro North it would provide access to the park and visibility for those who do not know about the area.

  

Useful links:

http://www.cassgilbertsociety.org/works/

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/realestate/29scapes.html

http://www.nylandmarks.org/programs_services/endangered_buildings_initiative//westchester_avenue_cass_gilbert_station/

http://huntspointexpress.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jag9889/2382055578/in/photostream/

From Witlock Ave Bronx, NY