Here’s an early design for Union Station

Check out this drawing of Union Station when it was in the planning phase, waiting for Congress to give the green light for construction. It’s a fun reminder that even the most grandiose of buildings go through routine planning processes.

Published in March of 1902, the Times Washington article announcing the coming train depot calls it “a fitting gateway for the nation’s Capital City, through which for all time shall ebb and flow the tides of the world’s pilgrims to the national Mecca, a fitting beginning for the new Washington.”

When GGWash contributor David Cranor passed the article my way, he wondered if the project finished on time or came in on budget.

“Perhaps it will be a reality in two years,” reads the article, “for great railway corporations build with magic quickness” Union Station opened in 1908, but it’s not clear from the article whether the builders shared that two year expectation. And even if they did, a four year delay on such a huge project doesn’t exactly stack up poorly when compared to many infrastructure projects today.

The article says Union Station itself will cost $6 million (about $166 million in today’s dollars), with things like buying the land and building the accompanying rail tunnel bringing the price to $14 million (about $388 million today). If you have any information on how much was actually spent on building Union Station, please share it in the comments!