332 Forest Home Dr Ithaca

This is the earliest of three adjacent stone structures, 332, 336, and 340 Forest Home Dr, built by local stone mason William Mitchell, who originated from Scotland. Although constructed at different times, they are all situated close to the road, on land bordered by Fall Creek at the rear, and are all built of similar materials.

This house was described ca. 1990 as being one-and-a-half story open gable house with a rear cross gable and center chimney. Exterior walls are finished in random ashlar, composed of cut stone blocks with beaded joints. The upper story is faced in cement embedded with mica flecks. Windows are one-over-one double hung sash. Interior features include a stone fireplace dated A.D. 1926, cove moldings, and a staircase and other woodwork constructed of oak.

William 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 adjacent houses he built now stand, was acquired by William C. Mitchell 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 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/332FHD_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
* 1946 transfer of property now known as 332 Forest Home from William C. Mitchell to daughter Isabelle (Mrs. Joseph Thomas). In Tompkins County Clerk database with control # BF069661-001.
* 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.