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