W ITH ITS VIEW OF THE CAPITITOL and Senate o ffice b uildings, and with the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court just a short stroll away, Union Station truly is the gateway to the heart of the nation’s governmen t. Th e station is also where o ffici al Washington mixes with the local city. Before air travel became common in the 1950s, enormous crowds gathered at Union Station to salute arriving presidents, watch protesters, view visiting dignitaries, or shriek at the Beatles disembarking for th eir fir st live American concert. Until the early 1950s, most of downtown Washington’s public accommodations were segregated. Union Station was one of the exceptions. In its dining room, African American and white patrons could sit down and eat side by side. Tra ffic a t Union Station peaked during World War II (1941- 1945 ). Thr ongs of military men and women passed through en route to training camps and battlefronts. Civilians, especially young women, arrived to sta ff t he enormous wa r eff ort. With air travel’s expansion, Union Station’s importance declined. When the station underwent major renovations in the 1980s, its grand concourse was reco nfigur ed to hold inviting shops, restaurants, and entertainment. Th e 1990s brought th e Th urgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building named for the Howard University-trained lawyer whose strategies helped end this country’s legal segregation. Marshall later became th e fir st African American Supreme Court Justice. Gateway to the Nation’s Capital UNION STATION DRIVE AND COLUMBUS CIRCLE NE
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