October 2015
This is now the Radisson Hotel, however, it originally was the Lackawanna Train Station a vital piece in the development of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Scranton began as an iron mill town, these mills began manufacturing iron rails for the trains, which till then, had been imported from England. This manufacturing made the organization of railroads in this area possible. Later when Anthracite was discovered the railway system expanded across the country to distribute this new found fuel source.
New York architect Kenneth Murchison was chosen for this project and ground was broken in September of 1906. The building was originally 5 stories tall, a sixth floor was added in 1923.
The station was 240 feet long by 88 feet wide and was built at a cost just slightly over $600,000. This French Renaissance style station has six statement columns on the front, and is faced with Indiana limestone and a 8 foot high bronze clock. The overhang is twenty feet and gives the station presence.
The track side, which now serves as a meeting room and the bar, has steel trusses with a concrete roof and, at one time, glass skylights.
The former waiting room, which is now the dining area, was 2 1/2 stories tall, capped with a barrel vaulted Tiffany leaded glass ceiling and clad in Formosa Italian marble.
Christopher Street Ferry dock, New York City
Delaware Water Gap and East of the Delaware Water Gap
There are 36 panels surrounding this area. They are faience panels showing various scenes along the route from Hoboken, New Jersey and Buffalo, New York. These tiles were modeled after paintings by Clark G. Voorhees.
The first floor once has a lunch room, newsstand, telegraph office, ticket office, mail room and baggage room. The station also had offices for the railroads, auditing, engineering, legal, real estate, bridges and buildings departments.
The station was officially dedicated on November 11, 1908.
In the early 1980s Scranton found itself struggling with a 13% unemployment rate and was looking hard to work their town into a tourist destination spot. The train station became the focus of this concept. Originally the building was purchased by a group of private investors put together by the Chamber of Commerce. The building renovation was overseen by Balog, Steines, Hendricks and Manchester Architects and opened New Years Eve 1983. In 1993 the hotel was purchased by DanMar Hotel chain for $4million and turned into a Radisson.
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