Madison Square Garden (MSG) is an American complex that hosts a large number of events, including sports. Few people know, but this institution has been demolished and rebuilt many times. Read more about MSG on manhattanski.
Foundation
MSG is a famous American sports complex located in the center of Manhattan, on 31st Street between 7th and 8th Avenues.
The history of this complex dates back to 1874, when the famous businessman and showman P. T. Barnum decided to build a large arena in Madison Square with a size of 280 feet. At that time, the new building hosted large-scale events such as cycling, boxing, circus performances and many other sporting events. After Barnum, William Kissam Vanderbilt became the owner of the arena. Later, the institution was taken over by a syndicate that included such personalities as W. W. Astor, Andrew Carnegie and J. P. Morgan. The members of the syndicate planned grandiose changes related to the reconstruction of the premises. Therefore, in about 1890, the previous building was demolished. A covered Beaux-Arts complex designed by architect Stanford White was built in its place. That’s how MSG II was built. However, this building did not generate the necessary income, so it was soon demolished as well. After the destruction of MSG II, another building was needed. Thus, in 1925, MSG III was built in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood by Thomas White Lamb. Compared to the previous building, this one did not look very sophisticated, but it was more spacious. It measured 200 feet (61 m) by 375 feet (114 m) and could accommodate about 18,000 people.
Some information about the events in MSG III
At one time, MSG III hosted a huge variety of important events, including boxing, hockey, basketball, wrestling, cycling, circus performances and much more. Now let’s learn a little more about these sports. It is worth noting that boxing was very important in the lives of Americans. The very first fight in MSG III took place in early December 1925. In the 1940s, a landmark fight between Fritzie Zivic and Henry Jackson Jr. took place. A record number of visitors came to the event, about 24,000 people.
As for hockey, the very first hockey team to play in MSG III was The New York Americans. The first match took place in 1925, with about 17,000 fans attending the event. The second team to play in MSG III was The New York Rangers, which took place on November 16, 1926.
Basketball was also an integral part of MSG III. The first game was played on December 6, 1925 by the American basketball team Original Celtics and The Washington Palace Five. Later, such basketball teams as Georgetown Hoyas, CCNY Beavers, etc. played there.
Such a sports company as Capitol Wrestling Corporation contributed greatly to the development of professional wrestling in MSG. So, in the 1950s and 1960s, this complex hosted important fights between Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino and Buddy Rogers, as well as fights between Jerry Martin Graham and William Fritz Afflis against Édouard Ignacz Weiczorkiewicz and Antonino Rocca.
In addition to the above-mentioned events, from 1925 to 1961, MSG III also hosted the six-day bicycle race The Six Days of New York. Various circus companies also performed there. The very first to appear on the arena was the American traveling circus company The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which performed in 1919. The circus was very important to Americans, so performances took place three times a day throughout the entire period of MSG III’s existence.
New Age of MSG
After almost fifty years of service, the question of renovating the MSG premises arose. Therefore, a decision was made to demolish the previous building and build a new one in the center of Manhattan on 31st Street between 7th and 8th Avenues.
The modern MSG includes a 20,000-seat arena and a small theater for 5,000 people. It continues to host a large number of different events, such as professional basketball, boxing, hockey, concerts, etc.