Snapshots of American Cities Then and Now

From the smallest towns to the biggest cities, change comes to every location sooner or later. What was farmland a century ago might be part of a metropolis now. But, there are some landmarks and touchstones that still remain today. Here are some then and now photos of cities across the US. Some of these locations don’t seem to have changed much while others look (and function) in totally different ways than they used to.

Hippodrome in New York City

The Hippodrome in New York was once billed as the largest theater in the world, housing circus shows and featuring a novel water tank for aquatic shows. Sadly the building only stood for 34 years. It was built in 1905 and demolished in 1939.

Today there is a modern building in its place that was constructed in 1954. The 21-story building is office and retail space today.

View of Brooklyn Bridge and the Financial District

The creation of the Brooklyn Bridge Park removed buildings in the way of the view, such as the mansard roof buildings in the photo above. Across the East River the view of the Financial District is much different, with dozens of skyscrapers looming. In the 1913 photo we can see the newly-constructed Woolworth Building, the tallest building in the world from 1913 until 1930. Just look how the modern skyscrapers dwarf it now!

The Old North Church in Boston

The steeple of the Old North Church in Boston that we see today is not the original one. Storms tore the first one off in 1804 and it was rebuilt. In 1954 a hurricane took off the refurbished steeple. Over the years the arched windows changed and the clock was removed. When it was completed in 1704 it was the tallest building in Boston (with the height of the weather vane included). Today, this church is still there and many of the older building around it remain as well, retaining the mostly open view unobstructed by skyscrapers.

The Chicago Water Tower

The Chicago Water Tower was built in 1869 to pump water for the growing city. It somehow survived the Great Fire of 1871 and became a historic landmark for Chicago. The castle-like architecture is said to be the inspiration for many of the White Castle restaurants around the the US. Today, many of the larger buildings around it make it look tiny.

Pike Place Market in Seattle

Pike Place Market got its start as an outdoor gathering of vendors in the early 1900s. A series of buildings were constructed over the next decades and by 1920 the area looked much as it does today, minus the skyscrapers in the background.

A fire in 1974 damaged the Municipal Market Building and it was demolished, although it was rebuilt to look much like it did before.

Revitalization efforts in the 1970s resulted in improvements and changes, though citizen efforts kept the market in line with its early look and layout.