Jamieson and McKinney Block
Also known as: McKinney Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1898 at 115-121 South Cayuga Street in downtown Ithaca, this four-story brick block housed the plumbing, gas- and steam-fitting business of John M. Jamieson and James A. McKinney, along with other shops and seven apartments. Scranton architect Frederick L. Brown, brother-in-law of McKinney, designed it in a restrained Second Renaissance Revival style. Its first-floor storefronts use slender iron columns and large areas of glass, while the upper floors have white pressed brick, bluestone trim and round-arched fourth-story windows. Solid load-bearing brick walls separate the three store units and the flats above, and a skylit central stairwell brings light to interior rooms. Jacob Peters built it for $12,900, and it was finished in under six months. The firm stayed until 1962, though the founders' ownership ended earlier. It is the oldest building on its block face, and it remains significant for its size, age, type and integrity, as well as for its link to a successful local business partnership.
Significance in brief: It symbolizes one of Ithaca's most prominent and long-lived plumbing, gas- and steam-fitting firms. It is also an essentially intact example of a turn-of-the-century combined store and flat building, notable for its iron-and-glass storefronts and solid masonry construction. It records the 1890s South Cayuga Street improvements, since the neighboring Lyceum Block no longer exists.
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 90000733, listed May 24, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 115--121 S. Cayuga St., Ithaca |
|---|---|
| County | Tompkins County |
| Listed | May 24, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000733 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1898-1921 |
| Architect / builder | Brown, Frederick L.; Jacob Peters (general contractor) |
| Architectural style | Renaissance (Second Renaissance Revival) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | A bookstore occupies the first story, with offices and artists' studios above; the exterior and key interior features remain largely unaltered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Ithaca Downtown Historic District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 42.43895, -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 90000733.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137303426
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.