Madison Square Garden (1925)
Groundbreaking on the third Madison Square Garden took place on the 9th of January 1925. Thomas W. Lamb designed the theater as a simple box compared to the ornate towers of Stanford White's second Garden. Boxing promoter Tex Rickard assembled backers he called his "600 millionaires" to fund the project. The arena was built at the cost of $4.75 million in just 349 days. Its most distinctive feature was an ornate marquee above the main entrance filled with endless abbreviations like Tomw., V/S, and Rgrs. Even the name of the arena was shortened to "Madison Sq. Garden" for the marquee display. The new venue opened on the 15th of December 1925, with seating on three levels. It held a maximum capacity of 18,496 spectators for boxing matches.
Boxing became the principal claim to fame for this indoor arena during its forty-three year run. The first bout occurred on the 11th of December 1925, before the official opening date. World light heavyweight champion Paul Berlenbach defended his title against challenger Jack Delaney before more than 22,000 fans. On the 17th of January 1941, 23,190 people witnessed Fritzie Zivic's successful welterweight title defense against Henry Armstrong. This crowd size remains the largest recorded at any of the Gardens. Poor ventilation allowed smoking inside which often caused haze in the upper portions of the arena. Fans sitting virtually anywhere behind the first row of the side balcony could count on having some portion of the ice obstructed from view.
The New York Americans began play in 1925 and officially opened the Garden by losing to the Montreal Canadiens 3-1. Shorty Green of the Americans was the first player to score a goal in the arena. Tex Rickard wanted his own team after seeing how tremendously successful the Americans were. The Rangers were founded in 1926 and played their first game in the Garden on the 16th of November 1926. Both teams played at the venue until the Americans suspended operations in 1942 due to World War II. The refusal of management to allow the postwar resurrection of the Americans team fueled theories about the Curse of 1940. Manager Kilpatrick burned the Garden's mortgage papers in the bowl of the Stanley Cup after the 1940 Cup run. Hockey purists believed the trophy had been defiled leading to the Rangers' woes for decades.
On the 15th of March 1937, a massive "Boycott Nazi Germany" rally was held in the Garden. John L. Lewis of the Congress of Industrial Organizations and New York City mayor Fiorello LaGuardia spoke at the event. In October 1945, an American Zionist Emergency Council arranged a rally of at least 67,000 people calling for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey spoke at that gathering. On the 20th of February 1939, a pro-Nazi organization called German American Bund held a rally of 20,000 attendees. By December 1941, the federal government outlawed the group. During the Great Depression, the Communist Party USA held mass rallies which filled the stadium with supporters.
Penn Station's owners Pennsylvania Railroad announced they sold their air rights to the Madison Square Garden Corporation on the 3rd of November 1960. Demolition of Penn Station commenced in 1963 with major controversy surrounding the destruction of a historic architectural landmark. Construction delays pushed the opening of the new arena to February 1968. Their final Knicks game took place on the 10th of February 1968, resulting in a 115, 97 win against the Philadelphia 76ers. Jean Ratelle was the last player to score a goal in the old arena with 19:15 remaining in the third period. Two days later, the last event was the Westminster Dog Show. There were no plans to keep the old Madison Square Garden and demolition commenced in the summer of 1968. The space remained a parking lot until 1989 when Worldwide Plaza opened on the site.
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Common questions
When did groundbreaking occur for the third Madison Square Garden?
Groundbreaking on the third Madison Square Garden took place on the 9th of January 1925. Thomas W. Lamb designed the theater as a simple box compared to the ornate towers of Stanford White's second Garden.
Who funded the construction of the new Madison Square Garden in 1925?
Boxing promoter Tex Rickard assembled backers he called his 600 millionaires to fund the project. The arena was built at the cost of $4.75 million in just 349 days.
What was the largest crowd recorded at any of the Gardens during its run?
On the 17th of January 1941, 23,190 people witnessed Fritzie Zivic's successful welterweight title defense against Henry Armstrong. This crowd size remains the largest recorded at any of the Gardens.
Why were the New York Americans suspended operations in 1942?
The New York Americans began play in 1925 and officially opened the Garden by losing to the Montreal Canadiens 3-1. Both teams played at the venue until the Americans suspended operations in 1942 due to World War II.
When did demolition of Penn Station commence after selling air rights to Madison Square Garden Corporation?
Penn Station's owners Pennsylvania Railroad announced they sold their air rights to the Madison Square Garden Corporation on the 3rd of November 1960. Demolition of Penn Station commenced in 1963 with major controversy surrounding the destruction of a historic architectural landmark.