Madison Square Garden — Times Four
By Laurie Lewis
The name “Madison Square Garden” is somewhat misleading. The sports arena complex lacks the greenery that would merit the name “garden.” It’s not square. And it’s not on Madison Square, a park about two-thirds of a mile south of the arena. At least, the present Madison Square Garden isn’t there. The first two renditions actually were on Madison Square, at 26th Street and Madison Avenue.
A train depot originally was at that location. When railroad magnate Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt moved the station north in 1871 to what is now Grand Central, “the greatest showman” P. T. Barnum leased the space for his circus. He called the open-air facility the Hippodrome. In 1879, the Commodore’s grandson, William K. Vanderbilt, renamed the space Madison Square Garden. A variety of events occurred in the 10,000-seat arena, in addition to Barnum’s circus, including the first Westminster Kennel Club dog show and boxing matches. Grover Cleveland held a rally during his presidential campaign. The facility boasted a velodrome, a track for cycle racing, which was a big draw.
The name “Madison Square Garden” is somewhat misleading. The sports arena complex lacks the greenery that would merit the name “garden.” It’s not square. And it’s not on Madison Square, a park about two-thirds of a mile south of the arena. At least, the present Madison Square Garden isn’t there. The first two renditions actually were on Madison Square, at 26th Street and Madison Avenue.
A train depot originally was at that location. When railroad magnate Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt moved the station north in 1871 to what is now Grand Central, “the greatest showman” P. T. Barnum leased the space for his circus. He called the open-air facility the Hippodrome. In 1879, the Commodore’s grandson, William K. Vanderbilt, renamed the space Madison Square Garden. A variety of events occurred in the 10,000-seat arena, in addition to Barnum’s circus, including the first Westminster Kennel Club dog show and boxing matches. Grover Cleveland held a rally during his presidential campaign. The facility boasted a velodrome, a track for cycle racing, which was a big draw.
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