Caldwell Hall
Why it's listed
Caldwell Hall is a classroom, office and laboratory building on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, built in 1914 on the north side of the Agricultural Quadrangle. It was erected mainly for the Department of Soil Technology, which had been crowded into Stone Hall, and was named in 1915 for George C. Caldwell, an agricultural chemistry professor who led the early College of Agriculture from 1868 to 1874. The Buffalo firm of Green & Wicks designed it. Edward Green was a Cornell alumnus, and the firm had earlier worked on other campus buildings. The three-story block rises above a high basement, with a slate hipped roof and dormers. Its walls are buff tapestry brick with limestone trim, and the five central bays of the south facade project forward as a pavilion with triplet windows and a pedimented entrance. The design draws on Renaissance composition and Arts and Crafts detail, and it harmonizes with neighboring buildings, especially Comstock Hall. It remains in its original use.
Significance in brief: The building was constructed for the Department of Soil Technology and was named in 1915 for George C. Caldwell, an agricultural chemistry professor who headed Cornell's early College of Agriculture. Its architectural importance comes from the stature of its Buffalo architects and from a design that fits sympathetically with neighboring campus buildings, especially Comstock Hall. It is part of a thematic group of buildings from the first decade of the College of Agriculture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84003117, listed September 24, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Cornell University campus, Ithaca |
|---|---|
| County | Tompkins County |
| Listed | September 24, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003117 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect: Green & Wicks, Buffalo; Builder: Durolithic Company, Buffalo |
| Architectural style | Renaissance compositional principles with Arts and Crafts features (tapestry brick, eaves details) |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used for classrooms, offices and laboratories, as originally; condition fair. The central stairway has been enclosed and some windows filled with louvers. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.44957, -76.47822 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84003117.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5019152
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.