SGC-CT060-060 · Research edition September 12, 2026
A selected, source-based research collection for New Haven and Fairfield counties. Includes credited photographs where reusable images were located, historical interpretation and links to supporting records. It is a growing inventory, not an exhaustive survey. Photographs retain their individual dates and reuse terms; images do not establish present access conditions.
Trackside postcard of New Haven's predecessor Union Station. A postcard of New Haven's earlier Union Station shows rail travel before the current 1920 building.
Street frontage of New Haven's predecessor Union Station with trolley. The frontage of New Haven's older Union Station appears in a 1914 postcard, connecting the railroad depot to street transportation.
Proposed Union Station design — never built as shown
circa 1913
Postcard rendering of an unbuilt proposed New Haven Union Station. This postcard presents an ambitious proposed station. The completed 1920 building was a reduced design; the postcard is evidence of a plan, not a photograph of a finished structure.
Cass Gilbert designed the present Union Station, which opened in 1920. It succeeded earlier stations, including the building lost to fire in 1918. The station’s name alone does not establish which building appears in a historical photograph. [CT060-S01]
The main building closed in 1973, while passengers continued to reach trains through the subway. Restoration returned the building to use in 1985. Its history demonstrates that a station building can fall out of use while the railway itself continues operating. [CT060-S01]
Cass Gilbert's 1920 station followed earlier buildings, including the station lost to fire in 1918. The name Union Station therefore identifies a continuing transport role as well as a particular structure. A historical image must be matched to the building it actually shows; the familiar name alone does not make it a view of the present station. [CT060-S01]
The main building's closure in 1973 did not end the railway. Passengers continued through the subway, preserving access while the monumental waiting-room building was out of use. Restoration in 1985 reunited that public interior with its transport function. This sequence makes preservation a story of choices and continued need, rather than a building simply remaining unchanged. Interior photographs, exterior views and platform records can show different parts of the station, while each source's date establishes which stage of that history it represents. [CT060-S01]
Key dates
1920 — Present Cass Gilbert station opened CT060-S01
1973 — Main building closed; rail access continued CT060-S01
1985 — Restored station building reopened CT060-S01
Site status: Active railway station; restored historic building
A closer look at the surviving record
New Haven Union Station, September 2018
New Haven Union Station in September 2018 Active historic station; do not label as abandoned.
Trackside postcard of New Haven's predecessor Union Station. A postcard of New Haven's earlier Union Station shows rail travel before the current 1920 building.
Street frontage of New Haven's predecessor Union Station with trolley. The frontage of New Haven's older Union Station appears in a 1914 postcard, connecting the railroad depot to street transportation.
Proposed Union Station design — never built as shown
Postcard rendering of an unbuilt proposed New Haven Union Station. This postcard presents an ambitious proposed station. The completed 1920 building was a reduced design; the postcard is evidence of a plan, not a photograph of a finished structure.
Includes source text where acquired. Source websites require an internet connection. OCR may contain errors; verify names and dates against the scan.
8 catalog entries
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CT060-S01 · Sources & research leads · Source reviewed September 2026
New Haven Union Station: chronology and bibliography
Supporting source for the collection’s history, chronology and research notes. A monumental passenger station connects New Haven’s railroad history with continuing public use.
External source; the full publication remains with its publisher. The archive provides an original educational summary and a link. See the collection history for the claims supported by this record.
Credit: New Haven Union Station. Cite SGC SGC-CT060-060, CT060-S01, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
CT060-P01 · Photographs · Taken on 5 September 2018
New Haven Union Station, September 2018
New Haven Union Station in September 2018
Reuse permitted under CC BY-SA 3.0; credit the creator, link the license, and identify changes. Adapted images must be shared under the same license. Image supplied at web resolution; no editorial changes to the source image. Active historic station; do not label as abandoned.
Credit: Pi.1415926535 / CC BY-SA 3.0. Cite SGC SGC-CT060-060, CT060-P01, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
CT060-P02 · Photographs · 2019-10-04 08:32:04
New Haven Union Station Main Concourse (Daytime)
New Haven Union Station Main Concourse (Daytime)
Reuse permitted under CC BY-SA 4.0; credit the creator, link the license, and identify changes. Adapted images must be shared under the same license. Image supplied at web resolution; no editorial changes to the source image. Active historic station; do not label as abandoned.
Credit: ZhengZhou / CC BY-SA 4.0. Cite SGC SGC-CT060-060, CT060-P02, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
CT060-P03 · Photographs · Taken on 11 September 2005
New Haven Union Station from Union Avenue, September 2005
New Haven Union Station in September 2005
Public domain in the United States (source file license). Image supplied at web resolution; no editorial changes to the source image. Active historic station; do not label as abandoned.
Credit: Hikki Nagasaki / Public domain. Cite SGC SGC-CT060-060, CT060-P03, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
ED-H2-HT-SP-001 · Postcards · 1910
Union Station predecessor, 1910 postcard
Trackside postcard of New Haven's predecessor Union Station. A postcard of New Haven's earlier Union Station shows rail travel before the current 1920 building.
Do not label as the 1920 UnionStation building. Display copy optimized for the web with proportional resizing and compression. The linked repository identifies the original image. Reuse: Public domain in the United States; Commons PD-scan/PD-US-expired tags for pre-1931 publication.
Credit: Unknown; postcard scan from eBay auction / Wikimedia Commons (see source page for original provenance). Cite SGC SGC-CT060-060, ED-H2-HT-SP-001, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
ED-H2-HT-SP-002 · Postcards · 1914
Old Union Station frontage and trolley
Street frontage of New Haven's predecessor Union Station with trolley. The frontage of New Haven's older Union Station appears in a 1914 postcard, connecting the railroad depot to street transportation.
Distinct opposite-side view from SP-001. Display copy optimized for the web with proportional resizing and compression. The linked repository identifies the original image. Reuse: Public domain in the United States; Commons PD-scan/PD-US-expired tags for pre-1931 publication.
Credit: Unknown; postcard scan from eBay auction / Wikimedia Commons (see source page for original provenance). Cite SGC SGC-CT060-060, ED-H2-HT-SP-002, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
ED-H2-HT-SP-003 · Postcards · circa 1913
Proposed Union Station design — never built as shown
Postcard rendering of an unbuilt proposed New Haven Union Station. This postcard presents an ambitious proposed station. The completed 1920 building was a reduced design; the postcard is evidence of a plan, not a photograph of a finished structure.
Architecture is drawn and never built as shown; do not label construction photo or completed station. Display copy optimized for the web with proportional resizing and compression. The linked repository identifies the original image. Reuse: Public domain in the United States; Commons PD-scan/PD-US-expired tags for pre-1931 publication.
Credit: Unknown; postcard scan from eBay auction / Wikimedia Commons (see source page for original provenance). Cite SGC SGC-CT060-060, ED-H2-HT-SP-003, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
ED-H2-HT-SP-004 · Postcards · circa 1931
Union Station white-border postcard
The 1920 station appears in a postcard cataloged around 1931. The station building and postcard publication have different dates.
Available at the linked repository; image or full record is not included in this download. Reuse: Commons PD-scan and PD-US-no-notice: source states publication in US without copyright notice. Do not describe as age-expired in 2026.
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