Photo: Dwaynep2018 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Station · St. Louis, United States
St. Louis Union Station
- Dated
- Dated 1892–94
- Declared purpose
- Railway terminal
- Today
- Survives, now a hotel and attractions
- Architect of record
- Theodore Link, architect: about 41 when credited (1891, born 1850). Build time on record: about 2 years (1892–94).All architects of record →
Hidden history
Found, Not Built
Once one of the busiest stations in the world, with a clock tower and a barrel-vaulted Grand Hall. What the photos show is a stone castle fronting a vast iron train shed.
Two years
The record gives about two years to build the head house and the train shed, one of the largest roofs of its time.
Ten years before the fair
It opened in 1894, ten years before the 1904 fair brought millions of visitors through it.
Gold-leaf hall
The Grand Hall has gold leaf, mosaics and stained glass. Researchers ask who trained the crews that fast.
Questions worth asking
- How was a train shed covering more than 10 acres finished in two years?
- What stood on the site before 1892?
Possible original uses
- A grand meeting hall
- A rail and trade hub
What the photos show
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Surrounding Buildings
Old buildings nearby in St. Louis. Compare the stone, the domes and the dates.
Lost Buildings
Neighbours that were torn down or burned. Tap one for its photos.
Further viewing
Episodes from My Lunch Break (Michael Kruse), the main lens for this app. They open on YouTube.
