Monuments: Union Station (Part 1 of 3)

Union Station, the main railway station in Washington, D.C., opened in 1907.

The station was named Union Station because it replaced two existing stations near the Mall, uniting them into one enormous station. The architect was Daniel Burnham, who also designed the monumental post office next door.  Burnham once said, “Make no little plans.  They have no magic to stir men’s blood . . .”  Union Station was designed with that mantra in mind.  "Once the largest train station in the world, Union Station was originally commissioned by Teddy Roosevelt as part of a large-scale urban redevelopment project in 1903.  The building was meant to be a 'great vestibule to the city of Washington'."

The building is one of the largest granite buildings in the world and was built by stone masons from Italy. 

The architectural style is Beaux-Arts with a strong neoclassical theme.  Some of the classical elements are the Arch of Constantine (in the center of the facade photo above) and the Baths of Diocletian emulated in the expansive vaulted waiting room (photos in Part 2).  

We searched unsuccessfully for a free guided walking tour.  Thanks to our friends at FreeToursByFoot.com, we managed to find an on-line itinerary for a self-guided tour.  So, let's take the tour together.  

The Columbus Fountain

In front of Union Station is a very large traffic circle, which happens to be called Columbus Circle (not to be confused with its twin in NYC).  In the center of the circle sits a monumental fountain, the Columbus Fountain (pictured below).  The fountain was designed by American sculptor Lorado Taft in 1912.  The three "flag poles located in the circle (between the fountain and station) represent the three ships of Columbus’ fleet; the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria."

The "Columbus Fountain symbolizes the spirit of exploration during Columbus’s epochal 1492 expedition to the New World.  Christopher Columbus sits at the center on a ship’s prow, with a globe of the Western World atop a pedestal behind him. The crouched figure on the north [right] side of the statue represents the Old World, while the Native American figure on the south [left] side represents the New World."

The Freedom Bell

Behind the fountain sits the Freedom Bell (pictured below).  If the bell looks familiar, there is a good reason why it does.  "This large cast iron bell was presented by the American Legion to Congress in celebration of the 1976 bicentennial of United States Independence. The Freedom Bell is a scale replica of the Liberty Bell."  "The Freedom Bell was cast by the Whitechapel Foundry in Great Britain, the same foundry that cast the original Liberty Bell in 1752."

The Façade of Union Station

The entrance to Union Station is through the three large arches that resemble the ancient Arch of Constantine located next to the Colosseum in Rome.  .

Above the arches is The Progress of Railroading, a collection of six granite sculptures.  The sculptures by American sculptor Louis Saint-Gaudens are 18 feet tall and depict Greek figures representing the invention and triumph of the railroad industry.  

The Greek figures, modeled on sculptures on the Arch of Constantine, are (left to right):

• Prometheus with a torch, a Greek god known for giving fire to humanity 
• Thales, the Greek philosopher believed to be the first to study electricity
• Themis, the goddess of law and justice
• Apollo, the god of imagination and inspiration
• Ceres, the goddess of agriculture
• Archimedes, the Greek engineer and inventor known for mechanics

Let's walk through the arch and tour the interior.  

Next Up:  Inside Union Station.