Crozier Building (Ithaca Cycle Club rooms) / Office Hotel

Details
Name
Crozier Building (Ithaca Cycle Club rooms) / Office Hotel
Address
101 W State St Ithaca (as of 1899)
1 W State St Ithaca
Year Built
Unknown
Demolished
1945
Building Type
Commercial/Residence
Construction
3.5 story Brick structure
Block Number
37
Annotations
1851 Bevans Map of Ithaca

39 H. Mac Merchant

1866 Map of the City of Ithaca, Atlas of Tompkins County

40 H Mack

1910 Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlas of Ithaca

Office Hotel
Sal (saloon)
Off 1st (office)

Description
This building was the home of Crozier & Stevens, groceries and provisions, and previous iterations, from at least 1864 to 1905, and Ithaca Cycle Club from about 1898 to 1904, before it served as the Office Hotel from about 1905 to 1937. For the next building at this location see: The Chanticleer building.

Ithaca Cycle Club (1892-1904)
Ithacans joined in on the nation-wide bicycle craze, starting their own cycling club in 1892. The Ithaca Cycle Club held lantern parades, road races and rides, helped develop bicycle “side paths” in the county, and advocated for bicycle safety.
In 1896, with 80 members, the Ithaca Cycle Club leased space in the Crozier Block on the corner of Cayuga and State Streets. Occupying three floors of the building, the club included a parlor, reading room, billiard/pool room, card room, and locker room. As enthusiasm for bicycles subsided, so did enthusiasm for the cycle club which disbanded around 1904. 

For more on the Ithaca Cycle Club Rooms and this building, scroll down.
Media (Photos, Videos, Audio Recordings)

No media have been attached yet!

Add Source/NarrativeSources & Narratives
John S. Crozier, grocer and provisions, Cayuga, near Owego [State].

R. A. & J. S. Crozier (Richard A. & John S.) Grocers, 1 W State,

Ithaca Democrat Steam Print, Ithaca, NY

Crozier & Feeley (R.A. Crozier, T. Feeley) Groceries 1 W State

Norton & Conklin Publishers, Ithaca, NY

“The Ithaca Cycle Club’s new quarters in the Crozier building, corner of State and Cayuga, will be thrown open this evening from 8 to 11, and the public are cordially invited to call and inspect the rooms and appointments. The Cycle Club is one of the leading organizations of the city. Its membership is composed largely of young men, but it has also a considerable proportion of middle aged, substantial business men. The objects of the club are several. Not only is it a social organization, but it gives especial attention to the subject of good roads and exerts its influence in behalf of the enforcement of ordinances in regard to wheeling. The ladies and gentlemen of Ithaca, whether devotees of the wheel or not, are invited to visit the rooms tonight for the purpose of seeing how pleasantly the club is domiciled and to learn something about its plans and purpose.
The club has three upper floors of the block. The first floor consists of a parlor, directors’ room, reading room, wheel room and toilet room. The parlor is in the front of the building and from its windows an extended view of Cayuga and State streets can be had. The parlor is handsomely furnished, the floor being covered with a body of Brussels carpet of pretty design and color, and luxurious leather covered chairs are placed around the room. The walls are covered with neat pictures, and evidently it will be quite a popular room. Directly off the parlor is the directors room, supplied with a handsome roll top desk and neatly furnished otherwise. Back of the parlor is the reading room. A hardwood floor, a long table and comfortable chairs are the furnishings of this room. A commodious hall runs from front to rear on this floor, the floor of which is hard wood. A handsome staircase leads to the next story and here will be found a large front room, pleasantly lighted where the members may engage in the innocent amusement of pool and billiards. The room is furnished with a pool and a billiard table of the latest make, also a number of chairs and furnishings appropriate to the use to which the room is put. To the rear of the billiards room is the card room, furnished with tables, chairs and hangings. The floor is of a hard wood material. Probably one of the most attractive rooms to the members will be the bath room which is directly in the rear of the reading room. There are two separate tub baths, and a shower bath in this room as well as a number of lockers. All of the latest patent appliances for the comfort of athletes are provided in this room.
The woodwork throughout the building is of light natural color and the effect is quite striking. The plumbing is the work of Jamieson and McKinney. Rothschild Bros. furnished the carpets and the Bool Company the furniture. Later, as soon as the funds of the club will permit, much additional furniture will be added to the present supply. Every article in the club room at present is paid for.”

Crozier & Stevens (Richard A Crozier & Charles E Stevens), Groceries and Provisions
Ithaca Cycle Club, Meets last Thursday of each month in Crozier Block, W. State

The Office Hotel, George M Whipple Proprietor

Multi-Family Construction: ; 
Roof of Main Structure: Non-combustible; 
Additional Sections: ; 
Porches: ; 
Outbuildings: ; 
Other: ;

Office Hotel, Clarence A Stevenson and John E Stevenson Proprietors

Office Hotel (Clarence A Stevenson and John E Stevenson)

H. A. Manning Co, Schenectady, NY

"Unless some transaction is arranged, the Office Hotel building at State and Cayuga Sts., an Ithaca landmark, will be vacant after this week....
Erected in 1818 by the late Stephen Mack, a great grandfather of Fitch H. Stephens and one of the early business men of Ithaca, the building for many years was used as a general merchandise and hardware store.
Shortly before the Civil War, it was purchased by the late Richard A. Crozier and Frank P. Feeley, who conducted a grocery store under the firm name of Crozier & Feeley. A few years later Mr. Crozier bought out his partner's interest and conducted the business alone until shortly after the turn of the century when the building was completely remodeled into a hotel building and was taken over by James Lawson and William Miller, who named it the Office hotel.
According to older Ithacans, the name was created for men 'who stayed out once in a while and could truthfully tell their wives that they were at the office.'
...
During prohibition the business continued as a men's restaurant and hotel.
In the hey-day of the business, the Office Hotel was the gathering point for farmers and business men from all parts of the country, Mr. Stevenson recalled today, glancing around at the two or three customers who had dropped in for lunch.
Mr. Stevenson lays the blame for poor business to the automobile, congestion of traffic and the lack of parking facilities in the business section and last but not least, the diversion of a great deal of travel to Ithaca by the completion of the new Inlet Valley highway."

"Office Hotel Slated For Closing," Ithaca Journal, September 28, 1937, 5.

1937

John Philip Sousa had lunch at the Office Hotel in Ithaca on December 5, 1911.

Paul E. Bierly, The Incredible Band of John Philip Sousa, 2006, 127,  Archive.org

Resident Household in 1910
NameSexAgeRelationOccupation
George M WhippleM40HeadProprietor
Anna E WhippleF34WifeNone
John MetzgarM23RoomerClerk
Resident Household in 1920
NameSexAgeRelationOccupation
Edward WatkinsM48HeadPainter
Patrick FrostM48LodgerMoulder
J W DansonM25LodgerMachinist
J MahoM22LodgerBarber
John GettyM50LodgerTailor
Resident Household in 1930
NameSexAgeRelationOccupation
Homer MottM999LodgerSalesman
Grant CurryM65LodgerAssembler
Timothy J CrowleyM999LodgerPressman
Dennis CoughlinM52LodgerLaborer
Cornlaus HyattM49LodgerLaborer
Horace T SmithM78LodgerLaborer
Frederick D ThatherM70LodgerLaborer
Leland H CampbellM34LodgerAssembler