The Federal Reserve Building in Manhattan was designed to appear older, even using a mix of Limestone an Sandstone to make the facade appear aged. Most courts and government buildings in the USA use the same tricks, mixing neo-classical styling with relatively modern steel construction. For such a young country, making buildings appear historic adds a sense of trust, authority, and permanence.
Penn Station was built in a similar style, pulling neo-classical influence from Europe, 150ft high ceiling of stone and glass, and an imitation of stations like Brunel's Paddington in London above the platforms. After just 54 years, the station was demolished. Grand Central Station was earmarked for the same fate, only to be saved in part by Jackie Onassis.
Not far from the site of the demolished Penn Station was the James A. Farley post office building, also built in the early 1910s in a vast authoritarian style. In true cyclical nature, it's now been converted into the new Moynihan Train Hall. It's actually pretty wonderful, and a small relief from the now shared agreement that demolishing the original Penn Station was stupid.
The USA has a strange relationship with history; things are either vital and sacred, or they get in the way of constant progress (capitalism). I don't think a mistake like Penn Station would happen again. Grand Central Station was renovated in the 90s and when cleaning the ceiling of main hall that was black with tar from 80 years of cigarette and pipe smoke they left a small square dirty as a reminder of the past. But the ceiling that's visible is not the original, and is made from boards that contain asbestos. So who knows.