Monuments: Union Station (Part 2 of 3)

Our tour of Union Station continues.

The Great Hall (Main Waiting Room)

The Great Hall serves as the main waiting room and was modeled after the ancient Baths of Diocletian with a large open expanse and high barrel vaulted ceiling.  The waiting room is very large; it measures 96 feet high, 220 feet long and 120 feet wide.  

Union Station:  The Great Hall in 1915

Union Station:  The Great Hall in 2018 

Panorama of the Great Hall

Around the room, along the top of the wall, 36 Roman centurions stand guard.  The statues (one is pictured below) were designed by Louis Saint-Gaudens.  "Originally these statues were designed to be nude, but shields and clothing were added to the final design." 

The clock in the Main Waiting Room, flanked by two of the centurions.  (Note that four o'clock is marked "IIII" instead of "IV".  

The East Hall

Next to the waiting room is a smaller room, the East Hall.  Originally, the East Hall was a public dining room that was decorated in the style of the 1st Century A.D. Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. 

Union Station:  The East Hall

Union Station:  Wall decoration in the East Hall

The Main Concourse

Next to the Great Hall is the Main Concourse, a large open space where train passengers originally walked to and from their trains.  The concourse was reputed to be one of the largest rooms when constructed, measuring 760 feet long. 

Union Station:  The Main Concourse in 1915

Today, the Main Concourse is a large shopping mall with ticket kiosks.

Union Station:  The Main Concourse in 2018.  A second floor was added for additional retail space. 

Our tour of Union Station is almost finished.  

Next Up:  Federal Express.