FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

All locally individually designated properties or properties within local historic districts fall under the purview of the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission and the City of Ithaca. You will need a Certificate of Appropriateness BEFORE you start work. There is also a guidebook online with photographs that offers some design guidelines. For information about the guidelines, the Certificate of Appropriateness process, locally listed properties and historic districts see the City of Ithaca’s website.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The Building Technology Heritage Library

For researching pre-1964 architectural trade catalogs, house plan books and technical building guides for materials, fixtures or finishes in your home.

Tompkins County Public Library Archives

For general historic context, research and to access Ithaca City Directories online.

Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)

For researching the National Register status of a property within New York State.

Tompkins County Historian

For researching a specific city, town, village or hamlet in Tompkins County.

Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection at Cornell

For researching the history of Cornell University and associated land/properties.

Ithaca College Archives

For researching the history of Ithaca College and associated land/properties.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What should I do if I live in a locally listed property or historic district and I’m planning on some alterations and renovations?

How can I nominate my property or neighborhood to the State and National Register of Historic Places?

I’m looking for old hardware, windows, doors and other items for my house. Where can I find them?"

Where can I find contractors to work on my house?

Can you visit my property so I can get some advice on where to start?

I don’t want to research my property myself but I would like someone to do it for me. Do you do that? And can you see if it’s eligible to be nominated locally or to the State and National Registers?

I’m interested in energy retrofitting information for my old house. Where do I start?

Where can I find information about old windows and how to fix them?

Where can I learn about tax credit programs for proposed work on properties listed on the National Register and find out if my property is eligible?

I would like to research my house in Ithaca. Where can I find Sanborn maps?

Where can I find other maps of Ithaca?

Questions about genealogy and local history?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES