Cradit-Moore House - How moving an entire house preserves history and embodied carbon

172 Pleasant Grove Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850

The Greek Revival style Cradit-Moore House was built by prominent landowner and Fall Creek lumber mill owner Isaac Cradit in 1817. In around 1860-1861, farmer Peter Kline added a southern wing to the house after he purchased the property. In 1938, Dr. Norman Moore and Bernice Moore bought the house, which they then sold to Cornell University in 1948, with the stipulation that they could remain in residence during their lifetimes. In 2000, Cornell planned an expansion of their North Campus dorms, which called for the demolition of the house. Historic Ithaca intervened to save the nearly 200-year-old building, which was relocated three-tenths of a mile north of its original location at 128 Pleasant Grove. This type of whole building relocation allows for buildings to be repurposed with their original materials intact. Further, moving buildings short distances, as with the Cradit-Moore House, reduces energy costs associated with their transport.