340 Forest Home Dr Ithaca

This is the last of three adjacent stone structures, 332, 336, and 340 Forest Home Dr, built by local stone mason William C. Mitchell, who originated from Scotland. Although constructed at different times, they are all situated close to the road, and are all built of similar materials. This house is the first house in Forest Home as you enter the hamlet from the east, situated on a small triangular lot, bordered by Fall Creek at the rear.

Originally built as a memorial to his first wife (Catherine), this structure was later converted to a single family residence, date unknown. The side wings may have been added at this time. William Mitchell lived in the house for several years until shortly before he died.

In 1990, it was described as a small rectangular one-story dwelling with open gable roof and outside end chimney. One-story shed-roofed wings flank both the east and west elevations. Exterior walls are random ashlar with cut stone blocks. A large memorial plaque on the front elevation facing Forest Home Drive features carved swags and is inscribed "1877-1943 In Remembrance." Other smaller stones on this wall are inscribed with quotations from the poet Robert Burns. An article in the Ithaca Journal entitled "The house that love built," published in the Journal Home section on May 10, 1979 (page 15, cols 1-3, with pictures) featured this house. The text also mentions 332 and 336 Forest Home Drive, William C. Mitchell who built them, and his three wives.

William C. Mitchell is listed as a stone mason in the Ithaca City Directory beginning in 1913-14.  According to his nephew, Harold Mitchell, William came to America ca. 1904, and was highly regarded as a stone carver, working on Warren Hall and other building projects at Cornell University. According to local residents, the three houses were constructed of various stones left over from University building projects, including brownstone, sandstone, limestone, and granite. William's brother, Hugh, a skilled plasterer employed by Cornell University, also lived in Forest Home.

The land on which this and the two earlier houses built by William C. Mitchell now stand, was acquired by William and his first wife Catherine in 1915 from George B. Fish. The Mitchell family owned the entire property for over 50 years. In 1938 they acquired a small adjacent triangle from the neighbors to the west, Claude and Miriam Pendleton, apparently in order to rationalize the boundary. After Catherine died, there were property transfers within the family and periods when some of the houses were occupied by tenants according to Ithaca city directories. After William died in 1965, his daughter Isabelle (Mrs. Joseph Thomas) was executrix and managed all three houses. She sold the 336/340 as a single lot in 1966 to Carl and Elsie Root and continued to live in 332 with husband Joseph until they retired in the early 1970s.  She sold 332 in 1974.

The architectural description is adapted from a provisional NYS Building-Structure Inventory Form (sometimes referred to as the "Blue Form") that was prepared as part of a Forest Home Improvement Association (FHIA) project completed around 1991. See https://www.fhia.org/wp-content/uploads/BlueForms/340FHD_BlueForm_1991_sm.pdf
[Note: This building is not in the Forest Home Historic District.]

Other sources:
* Ithaca Directories from https://www.tcpl.org/archives?field_ar_categories_target_id_op=or&field_ar_categories_target_id=149
* Tompkins County Clerk online database of property records at https://countyfusion3.kofiletech.us/countyweb/login.do?countyname=Tompkins
* 1953 survey map drawn by Carl Crandall of the property with three houses built by William C. Mitchell. In Tompkins County Clerk database with control # BF024437-001