114 Kelvin Place

Construction in Cornell Heights proceeded in stages. It began slowly, with twenty houses built between 1899 and 1903. Construction flourished between 1904 and 1916, in keeping with the rapid expansion of the university which, by the end of the period, was the second largest university in America.

The peak year of activity in the district--1916--saw the construction of a dozen homes. By then more than half of the 150 buildings in the district had been completed. The mid 1920s saw another building spurt, with nearly 40 homes built between 1920 and 1927.The rest of the district was gradually filled in during the decades before World War II.

This Prairie-style home was built in 1916 and was briefly occupied by Anna Smith, widow of Harry Smith, professor of music at Cornell. It became a fraternity house in 1917 (Alpha Phi) and housed the Phi Beta Phi society throughout the 1920s and 30s. It is now a private residence.

LISTEN HERE