Arts for Transit and Urban Design

Harrison

Tova Snyder

Railroads and Rooftops, 2002

Faceted glass in stationhouse and elevator towers

Railroads and Rooftops consists of 12 faceted glass panels - four panels in the dormer windows of the station house and four panels in each of the two elevator towers. In the dormer windows the artist expressed the importance of the train through the landscape of downtown Harrison. For the top sections of the two elevator towers she created images depicting commuters and trains, with one tower showing contemporary scenes and the other depicting corresponding scenes in a historical context. During her research into the history of Harrison, the artist discovered the vital role of the railroad to the development of the community; which often was a chief factor in whether a town grew or declined. The railroad helped create downtown Harrison and brought immigrant workers who eventually became part of the community.