Old Madison Square Garden:Fond Reccollections Of A True Landmark Essay, Research Paper
Old Madison Square Garden: Fond Recollections of a True Landmark
From the world cup of soccer to the superbowl, people all throughout the
world have dreams of being sport stars or even just meeting their favorite
athlete. It is in some peoples mind, the ideal american dream. In a time known
as the roaring twenties, people throughout New York were working toward the
american dream. This dream included a more splendid lifestyle that allowed for
freedom and fun. In the middle of the Manhattan burough of New York City was
a lively stretch of town known as Madison Square. This community center
included thousands of immagrants striving to accomplish the American dream.
Many people showcased thier talents in music, sport and theater. This park had
all of the necessary characteristics to gain popularity except for one integral
landmark that would bring the cultures together. Madison Square Garden had
the exact combination of commerce and sport to bring the people together. The
friendly confines of Old Madison Square Garden was a melting pot for not only
residents of the community, but for athletes all over the world. Athletes would
come to New York not just for competition, but also for the experiences and
different cultures (Jackson 72). Nowhere else in the world do you get what’s in
New York. How all the different lifestyles can live together in harmony, for the
most part, and make New York the greatest city in the world. When the wrecking
ball took down Old Madison Square Garden in 1925, people from not just the
city, but from all over New York came to pay their last respects to a place that
had more meaning than sport (Jackson 68). It represented the hopes and drems
of thousands as well as the stability of the community. As people hace come and
gone for 35 years the Garden was always there. As it fell so did the era, so did
the dreams. To move the Garden out of its original home to a new and improved
location may have benefited the people of the time, but for those who dont
forget there past the end of the original Garden is a tragedy because of its
historical and cultural importance to the great city of New York.
The first Madison Square Garden was constructed out of need, the need
for a cultural center in the middle of Madison Square. A place for conventions,
sporting events and other activities that the community can share. Madison
Square was a lively part of New York City in the early 1900’s. Adjacent from
Broadway it was filled with theateres, music halls, hotels and restaurants that
had people coming from the outskirts of town just to visit them. Competing with
Broadway, Madison Square had many theateras to compete with the new
technology of motion pictures (Lachetta 43). Throughout the late 1800’s and the
early 1900’s the Madison Square was a very colorful place, that lacked one thing
a true family place with many events to offer the different life styles.
The place the Madison Square needed was Madison Square Garden, a
landmark for the entire city to enjoy. The site of the first two Madison Square
Gardens was formarly the Union Depot of the New York and Harlem Railroad
(Nichols 83). In 1871 the depot was moved to the current site of Grand Central
Terminal and the Depot was sold to P.T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum converted the
depot into his popular hippodrome, a large tented area. As the hippodrome
stood in the middle of the square people waited for a new and improved
hippodrome which would be Madison Square Garden. In 1890 Stanford White
designed the Garden as an imposing Spanish style Renaissance structure,
which occupied most of 28th street (Burgess 46). It’s central tower modeled after
the Giralda in Sevilla, Spain, was topped with Augustus St. Gauden’s statue of
Diana. This structure would turn out to be the dominant figure in the skyline for
35 years. The first garden was completed with the largest Ampitheater in the
country, the Garden Theater as well as the Roof Garden, concert Hall, cafe and
even an immense swimming pool. The new Madison Square Garden was an
immediate sensation. Some of the events held in the Garden included prize
fights, wild west shows, the first american automobile show was held in Madison
Square Garden. It also included a track for biking or running and of course P.T.
Barnum’s circus (Whyte 14). The Garden was considered a prize asset to the
city and was a landmark for all visitors to enjoy.
The architect of this glorius land mark, Stanford White, was very
instrumental in the well being and finance of the Garden. One of the reasons
that the Garden fell in 1925 was due to his death. Stanford White was not just a
wonderful architect, but a lady’s man at that. His two homes were the frequent
sites of all night parties. One of his favorite girls was a girl by the name of
Evelyn Nesbit, a former girl who went on to marry millionaire Harry K. Thaw. One
night while eating dinner at the roof Garden. Mr. Thaw and his new bride
observed Stanford White eating at a nearby table. Evelyn whispered a few
words to Thaw who immediately got up and furiously stormed over to White. He
drew a revolver from his waist and fired three fatal shots into the chest of the
architect. After nine years and three long trials Thaw was aquitted(Lachetta 49).
On the evening of June 25, 1906 not only did the city lose a great man, but the
Garden lost it’s founder and owner. The loss of Stanford White was not just the
downfall of the original Madison Square Garden, but also most of New York.
Throughout Mr. White’s life he created the architectural designs for over half of
the buildings in the “original” New York. Many of his buildings have been
redesigned now. Back then Mr. White could take a piece of paper and a pen and
create a masterpiece. His designs captured the hearts of thousands. His wisdom
added to the stability of the Garden as one of the cities most beautiful and well
designed buildings. His presence in the late 1800’s will always be remembered
by his gorgeous work making the city not just the state’s masterpiece, but his
own (Silver 136-139).
The financial and managerial skills by the people who took over after
Stanford White were not adequate for the moving times. The Garden remained
in it’s name sake site for 19 more years until it was torn down in 1925, financial
reasons played a major part in the closing of the Garden. The huge arena that
had brought joy to hundreds of thousands was brought down to foreclosure by
the New York Life Insurance Co (Rosbrow 56). The residents of Madison Square
and fellow New Yorkers managed to raise 6 million dollars for the new Garden
away from Madison Square. 6 million dollars in 1925 is alot of money, people
obviously has a true idea of the worth the Garden had to the city as a landmark
and a social gathering place.The first Madison Square Garden was rich in
memories and tradition as Joe Humphries won that last fight on May 6, 1925
(Wolfe 27). People cheered, but despite their cheers you could hear the echoes
of tears as the place where the Garden originated was being left a vacant
parking lot with no rememberence of the great sight that once stood there. “As
the crowd streamed through the gates to their seats many of them were
recognized by Eddie Van Wart the head ticket master and by William Stillman
the head usher…. for them times will never be the same” (Garden hears last roar
of crowds NYT).
Thanks to the community and supporters of the Old Madison Square
Garden, a new one was able to be put up at fiftieth street and Eighth avenue.
This new arena mostly sposored by Tex Ricard was opened in time for the
annual 6 day bike race in late December of 1926. This new arena was state of
the art, including a hockey rink and over 20,000 seats in all(Jackson 122). When
completed this Garden was the most completed and advanced sructure in the
world. It included a hockey rink that gave New York Hockey fans a chance to
enjoy the great winter sport. More great sporting events happened at this arena
than any other such as Rocky Marciano knocking out Joe Louis. Many other
events that made this a worthwhile establishment until 1968. When the need for
a new location moved this building to it’s present location above Pennsylvania
station.
As of now the new Madison Square Garden stands as the city’s lone
sports arena. It houses the New York Rangers and the New York Knicks. It is a
superb arena in terms of technological advancement. They can change the ice
to a wood floor for Basketball within 4 hours. This arena seats almost 25
thousand people. This is the home of many great events besides sports
(Lachetta 42). It’s still the home of “the greatest show on earth” the name circus
along with concerts of every artist from Kenny G to Dave Matthews. It’s a great
convenient location from Long Island because it’s easily accesible by train. This
was a need due to the growing popularity of leisure and sport in and around the
city. A more well suited location helped the attendence and financially sent the
Garden soaring with funds to make renovations and improvements (Whyte 137).
The New Madison Square Garden should be around for years to come. Like the
first one it is a center of amusement and sport for thousands of people. No
matter where the Garden goes it will always be loved and used as a convention
center.
Though the new Garden is state of the art, times have changed and
people are no longer in search of stability in terms of landmarks. Back when the
first Garden arose new immagrants were looking for a place they could call thier
own. Thousands of new citizens saw time flying past them. Now life is more
complex and people have “more important” things to care about like new cars
and raises. Now they go to the Garden on a saturday night and pay scalpers
hundred of dollars for tickets worth 20 bucks. Back then a common man, maybe
new to this country could see the greatest show on earth, the circus for a
quarter. What has happened to society. Instead of worrying about living in
harmony and having fun, everything is about money. The first Garden wasn’t
built to make some man rich. It was built to bring a community together. To give
them something they could all share and have in common. To throw racism and
injustice in the garbage and let the people work hard for their money and be able
to have entertainment or meet people without wasting their entire pay check.
The Old Madison Square Garden was a historic landmark and should
never have been torn down. The loss of this cultural center and New York’s
fabulous cultural history is a tragedy. By them tearing it down all of the younger
generation loses out on the historical background of what they see as the home
of the Knicks. It was rich in sport and good fortune and it was always the