The Chanticleer

"Three-story commercial building located at the southwest corner of Cayuga Street; street-level facade clad in dark stone veneer in a rough-cut, irregular rectilinear pattern with wide, arched windows; upper stories clad in buff stone veneer; second story retains original vertical eight-light casement windows; third story retains original square windows with fixed four-light panel in the vertical center and four-light casements on either side. The main street-level, comer entrance is angled and marked by a projecting cylindrical metal sign with a neon rendering of a rooster (locally designated landmark) on each side of the building. 
Built ca. 1947. 
Historical note: Formerly the site of the Ithaca Calendar Clock Company (1860s), the Crozier grocery (1880s- 1890s), and the Office Hotel (1900s-1920s)."

Source: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for Ithaca Downtown Historic District, December 18, 2004

"In 1945, the hotel was demolished to build one of the most modern and architecturally unique buildings in upstate NY at the time. It was the first building in the area after the World War II effort where steel i-beams were used in the construction process. Originally, the first floor of the Chanti held a fine dining restaurant & bar area, and the second floor housed the dance floor and entertainment venue called ‘The Rainbow Room’. The customers lined the street to get a table at The Chanticleer and it was a local hotspot." 

"Chanticleer Celebrates 70th Anniversary Tonight," Ithaca Voice, December 23, 2016, https://ithacavoice.com/2016/12/chanticleer-celebrates-70th-anniversary-tonight/ accessed September 28, 2024.