Twist's Tavern / Forest City Hotel / Mobb's Hotel
Details
- Name
- Twist's Tavern / Forest City Hotel / Mobb's Hotel
- Address
- 225 S Cayuga St Ithaca (as of 1899)
41 S Cayuga St Ithaca
43 S Cayuga St Ithaca - Year Built
- 1828 (ca.)
- Demolished
- 1937
- Building Type
- Residence
- Construction
- 2 story Brick structure with Brick lining.
- Block Number
- 44
Annotations
1866 Map of the City of Ithaca, Atlas of Tompkins County
13-Hotel
1872 A. G. Bardin Map of Ithaca
A. Twist
1888 Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlas of Ithaca
Forest City Hotel
1898 Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlas of Ithaca
Forest City Hotel
1899 Crandall City Engineering Map
Hotel
Salem Twist
1910 Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlas of Ithaca
Mobb's Hotel; Sal.
1919 Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlas of Ithaca
Flats
Description
This hotel/residence was torn down in 1937 and replaced by an automobile service station.
Media (Photos, Videos, Audio Recordings)
"Hotel Leased," Ithaca Daily Journal, March 21, 1907, 3, accessed from NYShistoricnewspapers.org 1907
Add Source/NarrativeSources & Narratives
Forest City House, 41 and 43 S Cayuga St, Alpheus Twist proprietor
Norton & Conklin Publishers, Ithaca, NY
Twist's Hotel, 41 and 43 S Cayuga St, Alpheus Twist proprietor
Auburnian Steam Press, Auburn, NY
Forest City Hotel
"William Mobbs, until recently bartender at the Clinton House has leased and renovated Twist's Tavern, the seventy-five year old hostelry on South Cayuga street, and proposes to make it a favorite resort for farmers of the country. He has sublet the large barn upon the premises in order to devote his entire attention to the inn.
Mr. Mobbs is by heredity an innkeeper. His grandfather kept the 'Plough and Compass' at Huntington, on the estate of the Duke of Manchester, sixty miles form London, in turn succeeded by his father and his uncle. Mr. Mobbs has a photograph, taken by himself five years ago, of this English inn.
In the conduct of the Mobbs tavern [?] the wife of the proprietor is to assist and supervise. The venerable structure has been painted, papered, and plumbed; and had a steam heating equipment supplied to it. The fourteen chambers have been neatly furnished anew."
"Mobb's Tavern," Ithaca Daily Journal, May 16, 1907, 3.
Mobbs Hotel
Norton Printing Co, Ithaca, NY
225 S Cayuga St
Vacant
Vacant
Norton Printing Co, Ithaca, NY
U Auto Lunch, restaurant, Edward Haxton, proprietor
Marion Bros. (Inc.) battery service
Apartments:
Clarence J. Swartwood
Clarence J. Swartwood
Henry Battin
Mrs. Grace Marcoux
Mrs. Emma Miller
Edward Haxton
H. A. Manning Co, Schenectady, NY
“Another Ithaca landmark will soon disappear. The old Forest City Hotel will be demolished in the expansion of South Cayuga Street as the city’s automotive center.
The hotel, located at 225 South Cayuga Street, and in recent years used as an apartment house, has been ordered down. Marion Brothers, dealers in automotive electric service, who have owned the property for the past 10 years, will construct a lubritorium and service station on the site.
Built in 1828, the three-story brick structure for years was a tavern. It was originally built by the owners of a silk mill on the west bank of Six Mile Creek as a boarding house, according to Salem Twist of 332 South Cayuga Street, who owned the property for many years.
The mill was eventually washed away by high water and the old brick rooming house changed hands several times before it became known as the Forest City Hotel. Mr. Twist’s father, Alpheus Twist, purchased the property in 1854. He built a livery stable to the south of it and made other additions.
As a tavern, it accommodated many tourists arriving in Ithaca from the south, the last three miles over the old plank road which led into Ithaca from Elmira.
Mr. Twist was born and raised in the old Forest City Hotel and acquired the property in 1883. He ran it under the same name until 1895 when he rented it to the late William Mobbs, who changed the name to the Mobbs’ Hotel. It was thus known until Ithaca adopted prohibition in 1917.
At that time it was turned over to C. J. Swartwood, a builder, and the interior was remodeled into an apartment house. The property was later purchased by T. R. Martin of 111 South Geneva Street and 10 years ago was purchased by the Marion Brothers.
A proposed service station will adjoin the Marion Brothers station now located in the rear. The service building will be set back from the sidewalk, with a circular driveway. Demolition of the old building will start next week.”
“Century Old Tavern Coming Down,” Ithaca Journal, May 22, 1937, 5.
Resident Household in 1870
| Name | Sex | Age | Relation | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpheus Twist | M | 56 | Hotel Keeper | |
| Harriet E Twist | F | 47 | None | |
| Augusta Twist | F | 18 | None | |
| Julia Twist | F | 15 | None | |
| Salem Twist | M | 10 | None | |
| Sarah Twist | F | 10 | None | |
| Frances Twist | F | 7 | None | |
| James J Masters | M | 24 | Bartender | |
| Mary Masters | F | 21 | None | |
| James B Simmons | M | 72 | Carpenter | |
| Edward Simmons | M | 40 | Carpenter | |
| Menzo Osburn | M | 28 | Cooper | |
| Charles Gibbons | M | 23 | Cooper | |
| Theodore Jarvis | M | 20 | Cooper | |
| William C Terrill | M | 40 | Printer | |
| John C Simpson | M | 28 | Stone Cutter | |
| John Derry | M | 30 | Stone Cutter | |
| Edward Mehan | M | 17 | Machinist | |
| Henry Mehan | M | 21 | Moulder | |
| Joseph Reed | M | 26 | Butcher | |
| Thomas McCrea | M | 23 | Butcher | |
| James Schryver | M | 70 | Laborer | |
| John B Moore | M | 23 | Gardener | |
| John North | M | 17 | Laborer |
Resident Household in 1880
| Name | Sex | Age | Relation | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harriet E Twist | F | 52 | Head | Boarding House |
| Alpheus Twist | M | 56 | Husband | Bar Keeper |
| Sarah Twist | F | 20 | Daughter | Keeping House |
| Salem Twist | M | 20 | Son | Clerk in Feed Store |
| Frankie Twist | F | 17 | Daughter | At School |
| Benjamin Backus | M | 80 | Boarder | Gentleman |
| Thomas McCrea | M | 40 | Boarder | Meat Market |
| John Campbell | M | 30 | Boarder | Miller |
Resident Household in 1900
| Name | Sex | Age | Relation | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Miller | M | 46 | Head | Hotel Keeper |
| Ettie H Miller | F | 41 | Wife | None |
| Richard Chapman | M | 55 | Boarder | Bartender |
| David Pollay | M | 59 | Boarder | Carpenter |
| George N Shaw | M | 59 | Boarder | Stone Mason |
| James B Cody | M | 48 | Boarder | Baker |
| Charles Ribble | M | 25 | Boarder | Plumber |
| Peter Lush | M | 56 | Boarder | Stone Mason |
| Lottie Griffin | F | 12 | Boarder | At School |
| Leon W Ribble | M | 1 | Son-in-Law | None |
Resident Household in 1910
| Name | Sex | Age | Relation | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William J Mobbs | M | 38 | Head | Proprietor |
| Jean E Mobbs | F | 30 | Wife | None |
| Louis Mobbs | M | Son | None | |
| Richard M Chapman | M | 65 | Roomer | Yardman |
| W M Able | M | 45 | Roomer | Decorator |
| William M Bentley | M | 55 | Roomer | Carpenter |
Resident Household in 1920
| Name | Sex | Age | Relation | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alma Potter | F | 41 | Head | Office Stenographer |
Resident Household in 1920
| Name | Sex | Age | Relation | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarence Swartwood | M | 42 | Head | Contractor |
| Sarah Swartwood | F | 40 | Wife | None |
Resident Household in 1920
| Name | Sex | Age | Relation | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theodore Lewis | M | 35 | Head | Bookkeeper |
| Edna Lewis | F | 35 | Wife | None |
Resident Household in 1930
| Name | Sex | Age | Relation | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emma Miller | F | 67 | Head | None |
| George W Miller | M | 39 | Son | Painter |
| Mary Miller | F | 32 | Daughter | Operator |
Resident Household in 1930
| Name | Sex | Age | Relation | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Battin | M | 70 | Head | None |
| Minnie B Battin | F | 62 | Wife | None |
Resident Household in 1930
| Name | Sex | Age | Relation | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarence J Swartwood | M | 52 | Head | Builder |
| Sarah T Swartwood | F | 50 | Wife | None |
Resident Household in 1930
| Name | Sex | Age | Relation | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace E Marcoux | F | 28 | Head | Clerk |
| Virginia Marcoux | F | 10 | Daughter | None |
| Norma Marcoux | F | 9 | Daughter | None |
Resident Household in 1930
| Name | Sex | Age | Relation | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Haxton | M | 60 | Head | Proprietor |
| Maggie Haxton | F | 59 | Wife | Cook |