De Witt Park Historic District
Also known as: Public Square; See Also:Boardman House; Second Tompkins County
Why it's listed
DeWitt Park Historic District occupies the city block around DeWitt Park in downtown Ithaca, plus parts of surrounding blocks along North Cayuga, North Tioga, Court and Buffalo Streets. The park began as the town's Public Square, and the area was laid out by Ithaca's founder, Simeon DeWitt, in the early 1800s. Today the district mixes government, educational, professional, religious and residential uses, with mostly 19th and early 20th century eclectic architecture. Notable buildings include the Old Tompkins County Court House, described as the oldest surviving Gothic Revival courthouse in New York State, the 1820s Bank of Newburgh, the Williams-Fisher House, the Romanesque First Presbyterian and First Baptist churches, and the 1912 DeWitt Junior High School by William Henry Miller. Two modern buildings, the public library and a savings and loan office, were designed to suit their surroundings. Many houses became offices with little exterior change. The district covers roughly 18 acres.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district offers visual richness, architectural variety and urban unity that enhance downtown Ithaca. It is also presented as a good example of planning within an existing framework, with new buildings and adaptive reuse. The district contains the old Tompkins County Court House, early bank and residential buildings, and works by architect William Henry Miller.
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 71000561, listed October 26, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | A square bounded roughly by properties fronting on E. Buffalo, E. Court, N. Cayuga, and N. Tioga Sts., Ithaca |
|---|---|
| County | Tompkins County |
| Listed | October 26, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000561 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | William Henry Miller (DeWitt Junior High School, 1912; First Baptist Church, 1890); John F. Maurice (Old Court House); J. Cleveland Cady (First Presbyterian Church); Simeon DeWitt (developer) |
| Architectural style | Predominantly 19th and early 20th century eclectic, including Gothic Revival, Romanesque and Greek Revival buildings |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Mixed-use area of government, educational, professional, religious and residential functions; condition marked excellent, good and fair. Many private houses have been converted to professional offices. |
| Acreage | 18 |
| Coordinates | 42.44175, -76.49783 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 71000561.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706235
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.