History Hike Preview

1

The History Center in Tompkins County

The starting point of this tour, the History Center. Please be careful on your walk and stay aware of your surroundings. Have a great time!

2

East State Street

Photographed in 1934.This building, now home to the History Center, actually used to be a warehouse that stowed various products for the stores nearby. It was refurbished in 1993 and became the Gateway Plaza. State Street itself was a bustling place after the popularity of automobiles took off. It boasted several gas and service stations which competed for this brand new market opportunity.

3

Ithaca Hotel

Photographed between 1898-1904.Once a great landmark, the Ithaca Hotel was located at the site of Viva Restaurant. It could house 200 guests and 175 dinners at one time. In 1898, the building was renovated and rebranded as The New Ithaca Hotel. It was then purchased by the Ithaca Hotel Corporation in 1958, and they planned on creating a new building to replace it. In 1968, the demolition began. The initial plan was to build a department store, hotel, and a parking garage on the plot. However, only the parking garage and department store were built at the sight; the plan to rebuild the hotel never came to fruition.

4

Crescent Theater

Photographed between 1916-1931.At the height of the local film industry in 1916, the Crescent Theater was built to show the work of the Whartons Studio. Unlike other theaters in this era, which had impeccable stages for performers and could be modified into movie theaters, this was designed specifically for movies. Each seat cost ten cents, or fifteen if you wanted orchestra seats.

5

New York Telephone Company

Photogarphed in 1912.Originally based in the Trebloc building on South Aurora Street, The New York Telephone Company had quite a rocky existence. Through many merges and breakups, it ended up being acquired by Bell Atlantic and then the American Bell Telephone Company. It was finally bought out by American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T). When it merged with the Federal Telephone and Telegraph Company, it moved into this building in 1921.

6

The Ithaca Commons

Photographed in 1900.The Ithaca Commons is home to a variety of local businesses and is the very heart and soul of Ithaca. Though the stores have steadily evolved with the times to fit the tastes of the public, it has always been a bustling center for culture and commerce. Some notable establishment that used to be in this area included the Cornell Library, which was demolished in 1960, and the Ithaca Savings Bank, which was where Tompkins Trust Company originated; the building was badly damaged in 1921 and was then demolished. Even now, the Commons is still being worked on and improved to offer the best shopping experience in the area.

7

Realty Building

Photographed in 1919.The way this building was constructed in 1910, with many hardy, loadbearing walls, indicated that it was once intended to become a three-story hotel. Instead, many smaller stores were erected which boasted a range of merchandise comprising of insurance, confections, groceries, electrical tools, and even billiards supplies. The building has changed drastically since then, and it now houses another variety of stores.

8

Star Theatre

Photographed in 1911.Located to the right of the former Ithaca High School was one of Ithaca's many performance theaters. The Star Theatre was a very popular stop until 1920 when it merged with the Crescent and the Strand theatres. After that, it closed its doors. It is now home to the Tompkins Trust Company drive-in.

9

Ithaca High School

Photographed in 1900-1912.In 1807, this was the sight of Ithaca's first school. The building was demolished around 1884 and then reconstructed. A fire ravaged the structure in 1912, which completely destroyed it. Later, in 1960, a new building was created which was home to the DeWitt junior high school. When the school moved to its current location, the original site was repurposed into the DeWitt Mall and apartments.

10

The Clinton House

Photographed 1870.Named in honor of New York governor DeWitt Clinton, the Clinton House was one of the finest hotels in New York; boasting a total of one hundred fifty rooms. This beautiful Greek Revival building served as a hub for important political and social events. In 1901, the building suffered a massive fire that devastated the top floor and roof while water and falling debris damaged the floors below. With help from many volunteers, the building was renovated to become the New Roots Charter School.

11

Treman King & Co. Hardware

Photographed between 1910-1916.Treman King and Company Hardware provided merchandise for a steadily growing community, and eventually became so popular that it needed to expand to a four story building. It provided all sorts of needs such as tools, furniture, oils, glassware, and much more. The building has suffered numerous fires after 1910 before it was completely destroyed in 1921. Even after it was rebuilt in 1922, the hardware company closed its doors in 1939, ending one of the longest running family companies in all of Ithaca.

12

Woolworth

In 1997, the last general retail store in Ithaca, Woolworth, closed its doors. Once part of a four hundred store chain, the Woolworth name came to an end. After many debates, Tompkins County Board of Representatives approved the purchase of the building and renovated it into the Tompkins County Public Library.

13

Rothschild Bros. on the Ithaca Commons

Established in hopes that Ithaca would be a prominent theatre town, Henry L. and John M. Wilgus paid for the construction of a massive opera house entitled the Atheneum. A few retail stores occupied the first floor while the theater could seat about 1,000 people on the second floor. The building was later purchased by the Rothschild siblings and renovated to fit their department store.

14

Lehigh Valley Railroad Ticket Office

Photographed in 1908.Located at the insection of State Street and the Ithaca Commons was the original site of a popular grocery store established in 1869. Various businesses expanded into the surrounding buildings in 1904; this included the Lehigh Valley Railroad ticket office, the Postal Telegraph Cable Company, and the Burns Brother’s blacksmith shop. Some of the buildings have since been ravaged by fires and rebuilt many times. This was also close to the location of the famed Strand Theater which featured some incredible stage performances including the talents of Clare Booth, Orson Wells, and Catherine Hepburn. Tragically, the theater was demolished in 1993 to make way for a parking lot.