As a native Washingtonian, I have wonderful memories of coming home to Washington from summer camp and arriving late at night on a train at Union Station. The city always looked beautiful on summer nights. The Capitol glows white against the dark night sky and the White House is serene behind its tall fences! Back when I was a child the fountain in front of Union Station still spurted water - something it hasn't done for years - and children actually played and swam in the fountain to cool off in the heat.
I was in the area today to meet a tenant who needed to sign a statement that she did not want to buy the coop she is living in and that she would not contest the sale to someone else. The laws protecting tenants in DC are very specific about the steps that landlords must follow before they can sell a tenant occupied property. Happily we got an offer quickly on the coop that I had listed - but there was the one remaining hurdle of getting the tenant's notarized signature on a document stating that she would not contest the sale.
With a little time on my hands before I was to meet the tenant I took the opportunity to walk in Union Station and look around. Union Station is decked out right now for the holidays, with lights, Christmas trees, and a wonderful model train set! I loved watching the model train choo-chooing around its track! It reminded me of all the wonderful times that I have had at Union Station - particularly now when we meet our son and his fiance for visits home from New York.
In case you aren't from Washington, and don't know the city well, Union Station is one of Washington's busiest and best-known places, visited by 32 million people each year and has many shops, cafes and restaurants. Passenger services include Amtrak’s high-speed Acela Express, Northeast Regional, and several of Amtrak's long-distance sleeper trains (including, among others, the Capitol Limited, Crescent, Palmetto, and Silver Service trains); the MARC and VRE commuter railways, linking Washington to Maryland and Virginia, respectively; and the Washington Metro Red Line. From Union Station Amtrak also operates long-distance service to the southeast and midwest, including many intermediate stops to destinations like Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Miami. Over 13,000 passengers boarded or detrained Amtrak services daily in FY2011.
Architect Daniel H. Burnham, assisted by Pierce Anderson, was inspired by a number of different architectural styles such as
the Arch of Constantine and the Baths of Diocletian. The station was built on a massive scale, including a facade stretching more than 600 feet and a waiting room ceiling 96 feet above the floor, using expensive expensive materials such as marble, gold leaf, and white granite from a previously unused quarry.
In the Attic block, above the main cornice of the central block, stand six colossal statues (modeled on the Dacian prisoners of the Arch of Constantine) designed by Louis St. Gaudens. These are entitled "The Progress of Railroading" and their iconography expresses the confident enthusiasm of the American Renaissance movement: Prometheus (for Fire), Thales (for Electricity), Themis (for Freedom and Justice), Apollo (for Imagination and Inspiration), Ceres (for Agriculture) and Archimedes (for Mechanics). The substitution of Agriculture for Commerce in a railroad station iconography vividly conveys the power of a specifically American lobbying bloc. St. Gaudens also created the 26 centurions for the station's main hall.
The station held a full range of dining rooms and other services, including barber shops and a mortuary. Union Station was equipped with a presidential suite which is now occupied by a restaurant.
If you are thinking of relocating to Washington DC or its metro area - give me a call at 240-401-5577. I love helping relocating buyers find a great home here. Washington is my hometown and I love sharing its special neighborhoods and stories! Whether it is a Bethesda single family home, a townhouse in Kenwood Forest, or a condo in Logan Circle, I would love to help you get settled in DC!
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