Cities are constantly changing.
Old buildings are torn down, or abandoned, new buildings are erected. Cities grow, shrink, or sometimes disappear altogether.
Sometimes you can find traces of what once was. Other times nothing is left.
New York City is no exception and throughout its history countless buildings have been torn down and replaced.
While providing a comprehensive list of buildings that have come and gone in New York is a nearly impossible task, here are 10 of the most fascinating vanished buildings of New York City that are gone but not forgotten.
Table of Contents
1. World Trade Center
Inaugurated: 1973
Destroyed: 2001
Built between 1966 and 1975, the World Trade Center was comprised of seven buildings. The most famous, however, were the Twin Towers, which at 1,368 feet (417 m) and 1,362 feet (415.1 m) tall, were once the tallest buildings in the world; they became a symbol of New York City.
Depicted in hundreds of movies and the setting of Philippe Petit’s tightrope walk, the World Trade Center suffered from a fire and a bombing, among other crimes.
On September 11, 2001, the Twin Towers were the target of a coordinated terrorist attack. The Towers and several surrounding buildings were destroyed, over 2,700 people lost their lives, and the world was changed forever.
What to see instead: The National September 11 Memorial & Museum documents the story of the attack (and the 1993 bombing) and commemorates the victims in two large pools that mark the places where the Twin Towers once stood.
2. Pennsylvania Station
Built: 1904-1910
Demolished: 1963-1966
In the late 19th century, rail was booming across America, but Manhattan had a problem: it was an island. Inaccessible by rail, visitors had to take a ferry.
That changed when the Pennsylvania Railroad undertook an ambitious project to link Manhattan to the mainland for the first time. To match this impressive feat, the railroad built an equally impressive train station. The monumental Pennsylvania Station was lauded as a masterpiece of the Beaux-Arts style and became one of the highest-regarded works of architecture in the city.
All good things must come to an end, however, and with the decline of train travel in the mid-20th century, the railroad suffered severe financial loss. Pennsylvania Station was sold and demolished, despite public protest. The outrage caused by the destruction spurred the city to create the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, which has since saved other buildings from the same fate.
What to see instead: One of the buildings saved by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in the direct wake of Pennsylvania Station’s destruction was New York’s other iconic train station, Grand Central Terminal, which was built around the same time and is also in the Beaux-Arts style.
3. Madison Square Garden II
Opened: 1891
Demolished: 1926
You may not have known that there have been four iterations of Madison Square Garden. The most beautiful was probably the second Madison Square Garden, with its tower that was modelled after the Moorish bell tower of the Cathedral of Seville in Spain.
Like the other Madison Square Gardens, Madison Square Garden II was an arena that hosted everything from sports events to circus performances to classical music concerts. In 1906, it was also the site of an infamous murder.
What to see instead: Madison Square Garden II wasn’t the only New York building completed by the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White. They were also responsible for building Pennsylvania Station, which was demolished in the 1960s, and the James A. Farley Building, which still stands today.
Of course, you can also visit the fourth, and present, Madison Square Garden with its distinctive round shape, which serves as a concert venue and the home of the New York Rangers and New York Knicks.
Read here for more facts about Madison Square Garden.
4. Yankee Stadium
Opened: 1923
Demolished: 2009-2010
New York is home to several sports teams, but one of the most beloved (unless you’re a Mets or a Boston Red Sox fan) is the New York Yankees, one of the most successful sports franchises of all time.
Some of the greatest baseball players of all time played at Yankee Stadium, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Derek Jeter. It hosted numerous events, including several World Series, other sports teams, and even papal visits.
Eventually, a new stadium was needed, and the legendary Yankee Stadium was closed in 2008.
What to see instead: The new Yankee Stadium opened in 2009 next door to the original. The new stadium contains more amenities and houses the New York Yankees Museum, where baseball fans and the curious can admire Yankees memorabilia.
5. Singer Building
Built: 1897-1898
Demolished: 1967-1969
Frederick Gilbert Bourne, head of the Singer Company, commissioned the building, which served as the company’s headquarters. Once its bell tower was completed, the Singer Building was briefly the world’s tallest building, a title it held from 1908 to 1909.
Despite its status as one of New York’s emblematic buildings, no efforts were made by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to save the Singer Building, and it was demolished in the late 1960s.
What to see instead: The Singer Building was succeeded as the world’s tallest building by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, which as the name suggests, is another skyscraper with a prominent tower.
6. Federal Hall
Built: 1699-1703
Demolished: after 1812
A one-time city hall, public library, and even debtors’ prison, Federal Hall is perhaps best remembered as the place where on April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States on the building’s balcony.
Despite surviving a devastating fire, the original Federal Hall was deemed no longer necessary after a new city hall was built in 1812 and was demolished sometime thereafter.
What to see instead: Federal Hall was rebuilt in 1842 in the Greek Revival style. The new version doesn’t include a balcony, but to commemorate the nation’s first inauguration, a statue of Washington graces the outside. Now a memorial, there’s also a museum inside.
7. New York Produce Exchange
Built: 1881-1884
Demolished: 1957
New York has been a leader of the world’s economy for several years. For a long time, that included setting the world prices for goods such as wheat, corn, and petroleum.
A new large building was required and George B. Post was selected for the job. He created a structure whose façade was covered in red brick and included terracotta ornamentation and a clock tower.
By the 1950s, the Produce Exchange had declined significantly, and the once proud edifice was replaced by modern office building. As Nathan Silver would later write, “The produce exchange, one of the best buildings in New York, was replaced after 1957 by one of the worst.”
What to see instead: Post was the architectural mind behind that other famous New York exchange, the New York Stock Exchange Building, which was built in 1903.
8. Waldorf-Astoria
Built: 1893 and 1897
Demolished: 1929
New York’s first hotels were inns meant to provide shelter and meals for travelers. But the city soon paved the way for a new brand of hotel – the luxury hotel – where wealthy visitors could reside, lounge, shop, or dine while still maintaining their social standing.
One of the greatest of these hotels was the Waldorf-Astoria, built by the wealthy William Waldorf Astor. His cousin built the next-door Astoria Hotel and two were eventually merged under one management. The hotel’s most lavish room was the Empire Room that rivaled any palace in Europe.
The hotel was demolished in 1929.
What to see instead: The Waldorf-Astoria New York still exists as a luxury hotel in New York, but is now located at 301 Park Avenue. What building stands today on the spot once occupied by the old Waldorf-Astoria? The Empire State Building.
9. Cornelius Vanderbilt II House
Built: 1883
Demolished: 1926
The Vanderbilts were one of the richest families in America at the dawn of the 20th century. They, like many of New York’s wealthiest residents, built palatial homes on Fifth Avenue, the city’s most fashionable street.
Cornelius Vanderbilt II built the largest private residence ever built in New York City. William K. Vanderbilt, another family member, built a chateau-inspired home for his colorful wife, Alva.
What to see instead: Industrialist Henry Clay Frick was another of New York’s elite who had a home on Fifth Avenue. Unlike many of his contemporaries’ mansions, his survived and is now known as the Henry Clay Frick House. Frick was also an art collector, and the priceless works he acquired are open to the public in his former home (known as the Frick Collection).
10. Ceremonial arches
Built: 1892-c.1919
Demolished: 1892-c.1919
At one point in New York’s history, there was a trend to erect temporary triumphal arches to celebrate momentous occasions. These included one in 1892 to mark the 400th anniversary of Chrisopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas; the Dewey Arch, to honor Admiral George Dewey’s victory in the Philippine-American War; and the Victory Arch, which celebrated the return of the American Expeditionary Force at the end of World War I.
Efforts to raise funds to make these arches permanent failed. As a result, they deteriorated and were dismantled.
What to see instead: One arch’s bid to remain permanent was successful – Washington Square Arch, which was originally constructed to commemorate the centennial of the inauguration of George Washington.
Leave a Reply