Old East Hill School

Date built: 1881

Architects: William H. Miller and Edward Green

Built on an old quarry site, this red brick school was constructed to address the needs of the East Hill neighborhood, which grew and developed in the decades following the opening of Cornell University. Originally built as a two-story building with stone trim and black ornamental courses, the school also had a tall tower (now truncated in size). Large windows allowed the original classrooms to be flooded with light while providing views out to the streets and commercial core of Ithaca down the hill. The school expanded several times in 1906, 1915, and 1919, and a more modern wing was added to the south in 1955-56. The school was closed in 1976 and subsequently converted into apartments. It is part of the East Hill Historic District, a local and National Register Historic District.

Explore census and building records from the twentieth century for 111 Stewart Ave on the Ithaca HistoryForge database: https://www.historyforge.net/buildings/2169

Image courtesy of The History Center in Tompkins County archival collections: V20-208

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