Ithaca Gas and Electric Corporation Building
Also known as: City Hall Annex
Why it's listed
Standing at the northeast corner of South Cayuga and East Green streets in downtown Ithaca, this four-story brick building was erected in 1916 for the newly consolidated Ithaca Gas & Electric Corporation. Driscoll Brothers & Company designed and built it, then added a fourth story in 1922. Colossal red brick piers, an entablature of Onondaga litholite and galvanized iron, and a shaped parapet suggest a classical temple, while large plate glass windows mark it as a practical commercial structure. Inside, steel columns encased in concrete support the floors, and a mahogany-finished open staircase rises through the main stories. The first floor served as a customer office and appliance showroom, and the third-floor auditorium hosted women's clubs until about 1919. After 1922 the upper floors housed executive and accounting offices of the Associated Gas & Electric Company until it left for Delaware in 1936. The building also reflects the peak of Driscoll Brothers' work. Later alterations removed little original fabric.
Significance in brief: It gave a modern architectural identity to the Ithaca Gas & Electric Corporation, formed in 1915 by merging the city's gas and electric companies. With its 1922 addition it also recorded the presence of the Associated Gas & Electric Company's offices in Ithaca until 1936. It also represents the most prosperous period of the Driscoll Brothers & Company contracting and design firm.
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 90000734, listed May 24, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 123 S. Cayuga St., Ithaca |
|---|---|
| County | Tompkins County |
| Listed | May 24, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000734 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1916-36 |
| Architect / builder | Driscoll Brothers & Company |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival (Neo-Classical Revival) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed recent function is government office; the building is known as the City Hall Annex and is linked to City Hall by enclosed bridges. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.43877, -76.49876 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 90000734.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137303454
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.