Union Station opened in October 1907, it was the largest train station in the world, with a terminal of about 200 acres and 75 miles of tracks, according to the website of the Virginia Railway Express (VRE).
The extravagant building, with its white granite, gold leaf-adorned vaulted ceilings and Ionic columns, set the stage for decades of D.C. architecture. It hosted historic events and numerous presidents at a time when train travel was the main mode of transportation in the United States.
In addition to a transportation hub, Union Station was also a "city within a city." Over the years, the building housed a wide range of amenities, including a bowling alley, mortuary, baker, butcher, hotel, liquor store, nursery, silver-monogramming shop and Turkish baths.
8 billion dollars is a LOT of money!
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