On June 20, 1966, a talk was given at the home of Sylvia Reinhardt, who, with her husband, owned and operated Reinhardt Interiors. She was a member of the Ithaca Downtown Business Women association and was one of many concerned by Ithaca’s urban renewal agenda. This initial talk galvanized a group of IDBW members to form an organization dedicated to historic preservation. Without an office space or official headquarters, the early organization’s meetings were held at Reinhardt Interior headquarters. Thus, Reinhardt Interiors might be called Historic Ithaca's first home.
