127 Warren Rd Ithaca

The original house was a 28' X 18' one-and-a-half story plank structure (now a wing located on the northwest corner of the house) with a one-story extension to the east. It is believed that the first addition to the residence was constructed by David McKinney in 1851: a one-and-a-half story south wing, giving the house an overall "L" plan. The house appears on the map of Free Hollow in the 1866 Atlas of Tompkins County, labeled "D. McK."

In November 1880, McKinney sold the house to Rachel Chamberlain, and it is believed that the hexagonal tower was added during her ownership [1880-1886 according to https://www.fhia.org/free-hollow-to-forest-home-appendix/ based on research by Liese Bronfenbrenner.].  An east wing, featuring an octagonal dining room likely dates from this period as well, as do the entry porch and main facade dormer windows. 

Following the purchase of the farm by Professor George F. Warren and his family in 1907, the house underwent significant alterations:

In 1949, Mary Warren sold the farm to her daughter, Martha and son-in-law, John Hertel, who was also a faculty member at Cornell University's College of Agriculture. Soon after, rear section of the second floor was subdivided to form a three room rental apartment, and a new rear entrance and stair were constructed for access to this unit.

The farm continued in production until 1978, when the house and barns were sold to Lawrence and Elizabeth Fabbroni. In the 1980s, the roof line of the eastern wing was revised, with the addition of a new dormer on the north. Dormer roofs on the south facade were also altered. In 1990, the stone foundation was reinforced and rehabilitation of the front porch was begun.

Over time various parts of the farmland have been subdivided for residential purposes. In 1908, the Halcyon Hill area was sold to Professor Samuel Boothroyd. In 1949, Mrs. Mary Warren subdivided the area now known as Crest Lane. The most recent residential subdivision occurred in 1985, when the land for the Fairway Drive subdivision was sold. Individual house-lots had been sold over the years. These included lots on Warren Road to Professor Jean Warren (daughter of George and Mary Warren) in 1953 and to Professor W. L. and Harriet Brittain in 1954, and one to Michael and Carrie Koplinka-Loehr in 1985.

This 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/127WarrenRd_BlueForm_1991_sm.pdf.

[Note: This building is not in the Forest Home Historic District.]