Boland, Catherine Clare, 1985-

Final departure? : adaptive use of American railroad stations / by Catherine Clare Boland.

[Ann Arbor, Mich.] : ProQuest, 2011.

vi, 81 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the railway system was at the center of transportation and urbanization in the United States, serving as one of the primary factors in the economic growth and geographical expansion of the nation. However, by the mid-twentieth century the railroads had begun to see a decline in use and the once prosperous railroad companies succumbed to major budget deficits and loss in profits. Railway stations, as the architectural manifestation of this railroad age, fell into disrepair and neglect. The demolition of New York City's Pennsylvania Station, while the most infamous case, was but one of the many urban stations demolished. The fervent preservation efforts initiated in the 1960s and 1970s have since subsided. However, railroad stations remain significant to the architectural and cultural history of the United States. Through adaptive use these structures can be functional in contemporary society and preserved for future generations. To determine the feasibility of adaptive use, I examine the economic, political, and social changes that have occurred since the 1970s that affect adaptive use of railroad stations in the United States. The fundamental issue addressed is how to incorporate our nation's cultural heritage into an ever-changing urban society. In considering the successes and failures of past adaptive use projects across the nation, this paper proposes suggestions for current and future action that will integrate these buildings into the contemporary urban fabric. While this project focuses on railroad stations, it is applicable to the ways in which architecture functions as a product of cultural heritage.

Railroad stations Conservation and restoration United States.
Railroad stations Remodeling for other use United States.
Gares Conservation et restauration États-Unis.
Gares Reconversion États-Unis.
Railroad stations Conservation and restoration
Railroad stations Remodeling for other use
United States

theses.

Marder, Tod A., thesis advisor.
Rutgers University, degree granting institution.

Location: Library main 317334
Call No.: 317334
Status: Available