Union Station arcade photograph

Remains of the Union Station arcade in downtown Columbus, Ohio, 1976. Designed by the famous Chicago architectural firm Daniel H. Burnham and Co., the building was Columbus's third Union Station. It opened in 1897, and the arcade was completed two years later. By the mid-20th century, train ridership had declined sharply, and in October 1976 all but one arch of the ornate facade was demolished. The station continued to offer Amtrak service until April 1977, but it was demolished in September 1978. This photograph was submitted by photographer Robert Marks of Columbus in the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976