Historic Eagle Returns to New Perch at Grand Central Terminal

Celebrating its heritage, MTA Metro-North Railroad recently installed a beautifully restored cast-iron eagle to stand sentry over the southwest entrance to Grand Central Terminal.

The two-ton sculpture— with a wingspan of more than 13-feet—graced the roof of Grand Central Station from the its opening in 1898 until 1910, when the building was torn down to make way for the much larger Grand Central Terminal. The ornamental eagles from the old station were scattered around the metropolitan region, mostly to friends of New York Central Railroad founder Cornelius Vanderbilt.

In recent years, the eagles have been found, among other locations, at a roadside welcome to the Catskill town of Shandaken, as a decoration at the Philipse Manor train station, and flanking the entrance to William K. Vanderbilt's ‘Eagle's Nest’ mansion in Centerport, Long Island, now a museum.

The eagle that now overlooks 42nd Street was a gift to the railroad from the Capuchin Franciscan Friars. The Friars had purchased the estate of U.S. Rep. Hamilton Fish in Garrison, N.Y., where the eagle was mounted on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River.

‘Metro-North is pleased to restore this piece of railroad history,’ said Metro-North President Peter A. Cannito. ‘We are grateful to the Friars for their generous gift and hope this decorative link to our past will be enjoyed by all who see it.’

The bald eagle is mounted on a granite-clad pedestal on the elevated roadway (Park Avenue) that encircles Grand Central where it reaches the intersection of East 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue.

This is the second of the Grand Central eagles recovered by Metro-North; another was located in a backyard in Bronxville, N.Y., and was donated by its owners, Laurie Hawkes and Paul Grand Pre. Since 1999 it has spread its wings four stories above the entrance to the Grand Central Market at 43rd Street and Lexington Avenue.

Each of the eagles was created in five pieces that bolt together: the base, the ball on which the eagle stands, the body, and two wings. The eagle's cast-iron “skin” was in good condition but the steel armature, the skeleton that supports the body and wings, was rusted and needed to be rebuilt.

Before installation, the eagles were cleaned, restored and painted, and joints were sealed with weather-proofing material.

Because Grand Central is a landmarked building, the location of both eagles were approved by the New York City Landmarks Commission and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.