The Hyattsville Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission building is no more.

After a last-minute attempt to halt the demolition failed, the 115,000-square foot building, which dated to 1939, has been torn down completely.

Developer Werrlein Properties is moving ahead with its plans to build row homes and a handful of single-family homes on the site in Hyattsville’s Historic District coming as early as next spring.

Citing its modernist architecture and its location, groups such as Preservation Maryland and Save Our Sustainable Hyattsville had hoped to save the building, but ultimately they weren’t able to muster a solid enough legal argument.

In the end, preservation efforts were lost years ago, when the building was allowed to sit empty for years without a plan to reuse or redevelop it.

Communities along the Route 1 corridor have done pretty well at keeping the area’s historic architectural fabric intact, but more could always be done to protect other buildings from following the WSSC’s path.

If you’d like to do more to help, consider joining the Hyattsville Preservation Association, a local nonprofit that does a lot of work identifying and preserving historic properties. Dues are just $25 a year.