Prince George's County Courthouse
(PG County Fire/Emergency Medical Services Dept.)

THREATENED 1939 Prince George's County Courthouse, Upper Marlboro, Md.: November fire destroyed two-story brick building's roof, wood interior, and domed cupola, and sent 124-year-old bell crashing through second floor; investigation centering on construction activity during 20-month, $25 million renovation

1901 Alf Landon House, Independence, Kan.: home of famed Kansas governor who used its image for his 1936 presidential campaign materials; land now sought by Walgreens for new drive-through pharmacy

LOST c. 1811 kiln, San Miguel, Calif.: one of two surviving kilns from state's mission period, bulldozed by developer anxious to start 50-acre project before archaeological analysis was completed; San Luis Obispo County is investigating

1916 W.S. Carr House, Grand Beach, Mich.: first demolition of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed structure in 30 years; rickety summer cottage on Lake Michigan razed in November to make way for four-bedroom house with four-car garage

MOTHBALLED c. 1940 Meadow Gold sign, Tulsa: neon Route 66 landmark advertising milk and ice cream dismantled this summer from atop original dairy; funds sought to reinstall sign at new location

SAVED c. 1855 Stockdale Mill, Stockdale, Ind.: post-and-beam structure along Eel River with working turbines reinstalled after 30 years of restoration to become museum devoted to history of grain milling

RESTORED 1887 Notre Dame de Chicago Church, Chicago: Romanesque revival octagonal structure, with sweeping interior unobstructed by pillars—built by Quebecois immigrants and a link to French presence in Midwest—rededicated this fall after four-year, $1.8 million renovation funded entirely by congregation

1909 Cliff House, San Francisco: with several post-1909 additions removed from what was the structure's third incarnation after two turn-of-the-20th-century fires, city's westernmost restaurant, known for expansive views of the Pacific, reopened in September after 20-month, $19 million National Park Service restoration