Did You Know THAT About the Poughkeepsie Train Station?

Whether you are always taking the train, a constant commuter on Route 9, or you are a regular at Mahoney's every weekend, you are well aware of the Poughkeepsie Train Station. Heck, I just did a photoshoot recently at the train station!

Other than being a fantastic spot for photoshoots, the Poughkeepsie Train Station has a lot of fascinating history. How many of these facts did you know?

Not-Quite-As-Grand Central Station

The Poughkeepsie Train Station was built in 1918. The main station building is meant to be a much smaller version of Grand Central Station. The firm of Warren & Wetmore was hired to design a station that would impress travelers and communicate the city's confidence and cosmopolitan aspirations. If you were about to get mad that they ripped off the design of Grand Central, don't worry, because they designed that, too.

A Liturgical Influence

The stained walnut rafters in the ceiling are said to have been possibly modeled after a similar design in San Miniato al Monte, an 11th-century church in Florence, Italy.

A Recreation in Roblox

We reported back in August of 2020 that a Roblox user spent time recreating the platform at the Poughkeepsie Train Station, and can now be played as a level.

A Must-Stop Spot

The first Poughkeepsie station was built in 1850. It was a part of what became the New York Central Railroad's Water Level Route, which worked its way up and down the Hudson River. At first, it was the end of the line, but two years later, it was connected with the route stretching from Albany. With its addition, Poughkeepsie was the most important immediate stop. The concentration of industry around the rail station led to the rise of banking and finance within the city.

A Rare Honor

In 1976, the Poughkeepsie Train Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It and Philipse Manor are the only Hudson Line stations outside of Manhattan to be recognized with this distinction.

Where It Lands on the Line

The train station is the northern terminus of Metro-North's Hudson Line and an intermediate stop for Amtrak's several Empire Corridor trains.

A Perfect Backdrop

As I mentioned before, I was at the Poughkeepsie Train Station not too long ago for a photo shoot. I used one of the pictures in my latest announcement of show dates, which you can see here.