Columbus Union Station Arch

Columbus Union Station Arch. . The arch stands as the last remnant of a significant Columbus landmark designed by world-class talent, destroyed under controversy, and serves as a testament to Columbus' passenger rail legacy. , Designed by renowned American architect Daniel Burnham and completed in 1897, Union Station was a classic example of Beaux-Arts architecture and only one of two Burnham-designed buildings in Columbus. His Wyandotte Building was Columbus's first skyscraper (1897) – and still stands at 21 West Broad Street. , The arch formed part of the magnificent North High Street arcade that ran along an elaborate viaduct carrying the capital city's High Street traffic over the railroad tracks below. The arcade contained shops and offices creating a grand entrance to Union Station. , Through the arches passed dignitaries and immigrants, presidents and vaudeville stars, soldiers and football fans. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson made his first speech on the Treaty of Versailles following World War I in front of the arcade. , The first railroad depot in Columbus was erected in 1850 and a second was completed in 1879. Union Station was the third and was considered the most magnificent. Union Station was demolished in October 1976, spurring the birth of a historic preservation movement in Columbus and the formation of the Columbus Landmarks Foundation in 1977. This arch was saved from demolition by Federal Judge George Smith and is all that remains of Union Station's facade. It is no longer on its original site. This is the second home for the arch. In moving it in 1999 from a small nearby park to McFerson Commons, the arch could not be disassembled and was slowly inched here for several blocks by professional movers. , [Captions] , Left: View of Union Station's arcade looking northeast along High Street just after the start of the 20th century. Courtesy of the Ohio Historical Society (SC 861) , Top right: The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's uniquely designed No. 2 Lord Baltimore stopping on a track at Union Station sometime between 1935 and 1941. Courtesy of the Donald A. Foster Collection , Bottom row, left to right: , . Portrait of Daniel Burnham. Courtesy of Chicago History Museum, ICHi-09662 , . The Union Station arcade, as depicted in this original rendition of Michael Dickinson's 1998 oil painting, atop the High Street viaduct. Courtesy of artist Michael Dickinson , . President Woodrow Wilson in Columbus on the first stop of his nationwide tour to garner support for the Treaty of Versailles, which eventually ended World War I. Courtesy of the Ohio Historical Society (P 245, Box J, Folder 10)