232 S Albany St Ithaca

Year built 1860 from Tompkins County Department of Assessment.

Source: Henry St. John Local Historic District Nomination, Sara Johnson and Kristin Olson, Historic Ithaca, Inc., 2012.
Description:
232 South Albany Street is located on a modestly sized lot on the west side of the street slightly north of West Clinton Street. It is a two-story frame house built ca. 1844 in the Greek Revival style. It has a roughly L-shaped plan, with a cross-gable on the north, an addition on the south, and a full-width, one-story porch across the primary (east) façade. The porch has square posts with decorative brackets, but the low balustrade has been replaced by T-111 style siding.
The low-pitch, gable-front roof has a wide cornice with returns on the primary façade. The cross gable section on the north façade has a closed gable and a brick end wall chimney. Walls are clad in clapboard with wood corner boards. The main entrance is centered in the east façade and a secondary entrance is immediately to its north. Another entrance is located near the south corner of the cross-gable ell. Windows are generally 1/1, though some first story windows in the north ell have diamond-light upper sash.
A one-and-a-half-story shed-roofed addition projecting to the south is recessed from the east façade. The upper story of the addition is an enclosed porch.
Significance:
Contributing. Architecturally significant. Garage contributing and architecturally significant.
232 South Albany Street is architecturally significant as an example of an early, modest Greek Revival style house. The building retains many original details including wood clapboard, corner boards, wide cornice, and gable details. It retains its architectural integrity despite the application of vertical wood siding on the porch base and balustrade and the addition of a front door in one of the east façade window bays. The automobile garage is also architecturally significant. It was constructed between 1910-1919, one of the earlier garages built in the district.
The house was constructed ca. 1844 after Barney Merrian purchased the property from the heirs of Simeon DeWitt. The house was enlarged and the garage constructed under the ownership of Dr. Martin Besemer. The Besemer family owned the property from 1898-1923.
Alterations:
In 1888, the house was shown on the Sanborn company map with a rectangular two-story main section, one-story west addition, and small projection on the south. Between 1898 and 1904, the house acquired its current configuration through the addition of the north cross gable section, expansion of the west addition, addition of the second story on the west addition, and construction of the full-width front porch. Between 1954 and 1975, a window immediately north of the front door was converted into another door opening. The vertical siding was applied to the porch balustrade after 1988.
Sources:
Diaz, Roberto. Building-Structure Inventory Form for 232 South Albany Street. Ithaca, NY: 1987. Historic Ithaca, Inc., Ithaca, NY.
Ithaca directories, 1864-1981.Historic Ithaca, Inc., Ithaca, NY.
Photograph of 232 South Albany Street, July 1975. Historic Ithaca, Inc., Ithaca, NY.
Sanborn Map Company. Ithaca, NY fire insurance maps, 1888-1961.The History Center In Tompkins County, Ithaca, NY.
Tompkins County Department of Assessment. Tompkins County tax assessment photographs, 1954. Historic Ithaca, Inc., Ithaca, NY.
Tompkins County, NY. Deeds and survey maps, 1850-2010. Office of the Tompkins County Clerk, Ithaca, NY.

Source of Building Data: 1910 Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlas;
Multi-Family Construction: ; 
Roof of Main Structure: Shingle; 
Additional Sections: Section 1, left (S), 1 story, non-combustible roof; 
Porches: Porch 1, wraparound front left and right sides (ESN) 1 story, non-combustible roof; 
Outbuildings: ; 
Other: ;