326 Forest Home Dr Ithaca

This building is comprised of two separate barracks units which were joined together to create adequate space for a single family residence. It is a T-shaped structure with shallow gable roof, side and rear porches, and a glassed-in front porch/green-house. 

According to Richard Pendleton, the two barracks units were constructed at Hancock Field in Syracuse, New York, a military airfield built by the U.S. Army in 1942 to assemble and test B-24 aircraft that flew bombing missions over Europe [see https://syrairport.org/about-us/history/]. Housing units were moved to Ithaca in 1945-46, and re-erected at two Cornell sites for housing for veterans: on East Tower Rd, where the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine now stands; and on Mitchell Street, where the Maplewood Apartments for graduate students are now located. In 1953, one unit was moved from East Tower Road to this site, and three years later, another unit was moved from Mitchell Street and joined to the unit already on this site.  The house was built for Richard and Ann Pendleton, who were living in a cinder block cabin on the grounds of 324 Forest Home Dr when the 1950 census was taken. Minor modifications were made when these units were initially moved to this site.

The interior of this house was substantially renovated between 1968 and 1970. In 1987-88, a glassed-in front porch was constructed, and an enclosed rear porch was added to the building. A garage was built adjacent to the house in 1990.

The house is on a flat wooded lot which backs up to Fall Creek. It is one of two houses in the area that were constructed from used military barracks.

This description is based partly on a provisional NYS Building-Structure Inventory Form (sometimes referred to as the "Blue Form"), which was prepared as part of a Forest Home Improvement Association (FHIA) project completed around 1991. See https://www.fhia.org/wp-content/uploads/BlueForms/326FHD_BlueForm_1991_sm.pdf

[Note: This building is not in the Forest Home Historic District. When the scope of the district was established, the house was not yet 50 years old.]