The Detroit Museum of Art sparked Detroits fine arts when it opened in 1888 with a huge collection of paintings from all over the world. In 1960 it was demolished for a highway intersection on I-375.
Albany, NY: Thousands of buildings, around 40 square blocks covering 98 acres were demolished in the 60s to build the Empire State Plaza
The Stanford Mansion, San Francisco, CA. 1874-1906. Burned to the ground after the 1906 Earthquake